Biosurfactant-Based Bioremediation of Toxic Metals

Fast-paced evolution and expanding industrialization are leading to excessive levels of heavy metal accumulation in the environment. They are continuously being added into the soil, posing huge threats to flora and fauna. The most toxic heavy metals are cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and chromium, all of which are included on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of priority pollutants. Toxic heavy metals are highly persistent in nature for decades, meaning that their remediation is very difficult. There is an urgent need for decontamination of polluted environments. Biosurfactant based bioremediation having low toxicity, high biodegradability and good environmental compatibility make it a novel approach for environmental clean-up of contaminants. Biosurfactants are surface-active molecules produced by a variety of microorganisms capable of reducing surface and interfacial tension, thereby facilitating mobilization and removal of metal ions by forming biosurfactant-metal complexes. This chapter details recent findings and explorations of biosurfactant-mediated bioremediation, types of biosurfactants, and critical approaches toward microbial genetic background for efficacy of biosurfactant production and their potential applications. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.