The use of bioelectrochemical systems in environmental remediation of xenobiotics: a review

Abstract

Remediation of anthropogenic pollutants in our environment has become an imperative of the 21st century in order to sustain human activity and all life on the planet. With the current limitations of the existing technologies for this purpose, the need for innovative bioremediation technologies has become vitally important. Hitherto, electrochemically active microorganisms have only been a scientific curiosity and a platform for sustainable power production from waste material. However, recent research utilizing these electrochemically active microorganisms in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) has revealed their promising potential for bioremediation applications. The primary research focus of BES applications up-to now has been to optimize and increase their power output. The possibility of utilizing these systems for bioremediation applications has been a new facet of this field of work. This review provides a comprehensive outlook on the utilization of BES based technologies for remediation of xenobiotic environmental pollutants. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.