Biofilm: An Innovative Modern Technology for Aquatic Pollution Remediation

Abstract

In the present era of growing population, increased use of water has resulted in the deterioration of quality of water bodies. Increase in pollution may add to the global water stress. Therefore, the need of the time is to clean water bodies by using sustainable and innovative technologies. Biofilm based technologies are of tremendous potential in cleaning and remediating water pollutants. Recently new techniques such as use of filamentous bamboo-based biofilms in the biofilm reactors and use of exopolysaccharides of biofilms for the pollution remediation have gained much importance. Biofilms developed on different substrates with diverse groups of microbes can be harnessed to remediate heavy metals, toxic chemicals, pollutants from pharmaceutical and personal care products, synthetic dyes, organic pollutants, hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated compounds. Periphytic biofilms also play an important role in denitrification process and therefore could be used to remove excess nitrogen from polluted water bodies. In this chapter we have focused on the potential role of innovative biofilm technologies to remediate aquatic pollution.