Bacterial Bisorption as an Approach for the Bioremediation of Chromium Contaminated Soils: An Overview

Abstract

Chromium possesses detrimental effects on the health of both plants and animals. Biosorption is a process where biological materials (bacteria, fungi, algae, or agricultural waste) are used to remove pollutants from contaminated sites. Conventional methods of remediating heavy metal-contaminated soils, such as excavation and chemical treatment, are expensive and disruptive, making them less desirable. Factors influencing bacterial biosorption efficiency are promising approaches involving bacteria to remove heavy metals such as Chromium, lead, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, etc., from contaminated soil. Some bacterial genera involved in biosorption include Alcaligens, Achromobacter, Acinetobacter, Alteromonas, Arthrobacter, Burkholderia, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Flavobacterium, and Pseudomonas. These bacteria can adsorb heavy metals such as Chromium and biotransform them into less toxic forms. Some factors influencing bacteria biosorption efficiency include pH, temperature, concentration, bacterial surface compositions, metal ion characteristics, and soil composition. Challenges associated with using bacteria for biosorption, as outlined in previous literature, include the slowness of the process and the fact that it may not be suitable for large-scale application, even though many other authors have proven its applicability on a large scale. Also, the key quality needed from the bacterial biosorbent must be tolerating the heavy metals. Another area of focus in current research is optimizing environmental conditions, such as temperature, pH, and nutrient availability, to achieve a more efficient biosorption at a larger scale. This overview highlighted the roles of bacteria in the biosorption of chromium heavy metal as a strategy for the bioremediation of chromium-contaminated soil. Conclusively, bacterial biosorption has great potential for use in chromium-contaminated soil remediation, and more research is needed to fully realize this potential, especially in biotechnology and molecular engineering.