The use of bacterial bioremediation of metals in aquatic environments in the twenty-first century: a systematic review

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#biodegradation-environmental #chromium #india #metals-heavy #wastewater

The use of bacterial bioremediation of metals in aquatic environments in the twenty-first century: a systematic review

de et al., 2017 | Environ Sci Pollut Res Int | Systematic Review

Citation

de Alencar Feliphe Lacerda Souza, Navoni Julio Alejandro, do Amaral Viviane Souza. The use of bacterial bioremediation of metals in aquatic environments in the twenty-first century: a systematic review. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2017-Jul;24(20):16545-16559. doi:10.1007/s11356-017-9129-8

Abstract

Metal pollution is a current environmental issue as a consequence of unregulated anthropic activiy. A wide range of bioremediation strategies have been successfully implemented to recover contaminated areas. Among them, bacterial bioremediation stands out as a promising tool to confront these types of concerns. This study aimed to compare and discuss worldwide scientific evolution of bacterial potential for metal bioremediation in aquatic ecosystems. The study consisted of a systematic review, elaborated through a conceptual hypothesis model, during the period from 2000 to 2016, using PubMed, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases as data resources. The countries with the largest number of reports included in this work were India and the USA. Industrial wastewater discharge was the main subject associated to metal contamination/pollution and where bacterial bioremediations have mostly been applied. Biosorption is the main bioremediation mechanism described. Bacterial adaptation to metal presence was discussed in all the selected studies, and chromium was the most researched bioremedied substrate. Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosas and the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacteria were microorganisms with the greatest applicability for metal bioremediation. Most reports involved the study of genes and/or proteins related to metal metabolism and/or resistence, and Chromobacterium violaceum was the most studied. The present work shows the relevance of metal bacterial bioremediation through the high number of studies aimed at understanding the microbiological mechanisms involved. Moreover, the developed processes applied in removal and/or reducing the resulting environmental metal contaminant/pollutant load have become a current and increasingly biotechnological issue for recovering impacted areas.

Key Findings

Moreover, the developed processes applied in removal and/or reducing the resulting environmental metal contaminant/pollutant load have become a current and increasingly biotechnological issue for recovering impacted areas.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Chromium
  • India
  • Metals, Heavy
  • Wastewater
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: chromium

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09