Nanotechnology for the bioremediation of organic and inorganic compounds in aquatic ecosystem/marine ecosystem

Abstract

There has been a rapid increase in the usage of carcinogenic organic and inorganic compounds such as dyes, heavy metals, and phenols due to the rise in industrialization. Around 70% of the industrial effluents are dumped into the aquatic system without being treated where they pollute the usable water supply. These elements can also harm the human health by entering the food chain. According to the current population growth rate, 3.5 billion people are expected to face water scarcity by 2025. Therefore, the need to eliminate these pollutants is growing day by day. Nano-bioremediation, a combination of bioremediation and nanotechnology is a competent way to remove contaminants from aquatic systems as it is a non-toxic, cost-effective, and less time-consuming approach. Nanotechnology has compelling capability, and thus, the applications of nanoparticles will escalate in the near future, and it will be a significant part of sustainable development. This review summarizes how various nanomaterials have the potential to degrade contaminants and how it can be used in the form of adsorbents, sensors, membranes, nano-catalysts, and nano-filters to remediate contaminants from marine systems. In addition to this, various limitations of nanobioremediation and the factors responsible for efficiency of nanomaterials are also discussed in this review paper.