Microbial bioremediation for improving the regional water quality

Abstract

As we observe, the rapid increase in population, urbanization, and industrialization with inefficient wastewater treatment practices leads to increased pollution levels of water bodies worldwide. Bioremediation techniques using microbial metabolism can improve regional water quality through ecofriendly approaches. These wastewater treatment techniques are cheaper, environmentally safe, and slower than physiochemical methods. These techniques have been implemented and successfully demonstrated using microbial communities, genetically modified microorganisms, a set of microbes and plants, and constructed wetland systems. Recent technological advancements using nanobioremediation and constructed wetlands are crucial in reducing toxic contaminants to environmentally safe levels. These approaches have been selected for the Ganga Rejuvenation plan under the National Mission for Clean Ganga. The constructed wetlands technology has been provided in various cities across the Ganga River for wastewater treatment with benefits of habitat creation for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and groundwater recharge. Nanobioremediation uses nanoparticles to enhance the performance of microorganisms involved in the bioremediation of contaminated water. It can remove heavy metals, organic compounds, and nutrients from contaminated water. This study presents recent emerging bioremediation techniques and describes their potential using case studies for improving water quality and promoting sustainable development in the region. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.