Cyanoremediation: A green clean technology

Abstract

Industrialized societies and those with mechanized agricultural production are now be set by a number of pollution problems that were largely unknown prior to world war II. The properties that make cyanobacteria generally undesirable are also the qualifications for possible positive economic use. These tinny plants are distributed all over the world and found is all types of habitats. Cyanobacteria will be strong contenders in the future for integrated system level analysis because of their potential in a wide variety of process and product fields, ranging from non-green house energy (H 2), through to pollution abatement and therapeutics. The main cyanobacterial strain viz sps. of Anabena, Nostoc, Phormidium, Aphanocapsa, Oscillatoria, Lgngbya, Spirulina, Aulosira, Anasystis appears to be promiring bioremediators for the effluent rich in nitrates and phosphates. Cyanobacteria metabolize organic compounds through ring hydroxylation. The cyanobacteria produce siderophores which may be responsible for absorption of metal ions into organism. The metal accumulating algal biomass can either be disposed off or incinerated for metal recovery. It was also studied that cyanobacteria accelerate transformation and degradation of certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organo phosphorous, in water by the sun light. Thus algal detoxification, and degradation of environmental pollutants could help in controlling the pollution of the aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Green clean technology has been clearly identified as the answer to some of the problems related to the industrial pollution of aquatic and soil environment. Alongside this, biomonitoring of environment may be followed by targeted bioremediation. Clean processes are designed to lead to the discharge of cleaner aqueous effluents.