2026· Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology· 0 citations· 140 references
Abstract
Integrating nanotechnology with bioremediation offers a powerful, eco-friendly strategy to address pressing environmental challenges such as heavy metal contamination, hydrocarbon pollution, and persistent organic pollutants. Nanoparticles (NPs) are used as microbial enhancers, adsorbents, or catalysts in bioremediation because of their high surface area-to-volume ratio, reactivity, and pollutant selectivity. For instance, recent studies have demonstrated the successful use of iron oxide and silver NPs in enhancing microbial degradation of industrial wastewater contaminants, highlighting the practical potential of this synergy. Materials that play a significant role in the breakdown and immobilization of pollutants include carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide, and nano zero-valent iron. Using bacteria, fungi, and plants to create customized NPs, biological synthesis of NPs is becoming more and more popular as an environmentally benign substitute for chemical approaches. This method produces NPs with precise characteristics while reducing toxicity and utilizing natural enzymatic processes. Nanotechnology is also used in biosorption, where microbial biomass adsorbs and stabilizes pollutants, and phytoremediation, where NPs improve plants’ capacity to absorb pollutants. Although there is great potential for integrating nanotechnology into bioremediation, there are still obstacles to overcome. However, challenges such as NPs toxicity, potential ecological risks, and issues of large-scale applicability remain critical hurdles. Future research must focus on designing biocompatible and sustainable nanomaterials, developing scalable remediation systems, and ensuring biosafety standards to translate laboratory success into real-world applications. This integrated approach holds immense potential for sustainable environmental management and long-term ecosystem restoration.
Nanotechnology has revolutionized environmental biotechnology by introducing engineered and biogenic nanoparticles with distinct physicochemical properties. High surface area-to-volume ratios, tunable reactivity, localized surface plasmon resonance, and catalytic efficiency make nanomaterials key drivers for environmental monitoring, pollution remediation, and sustainable ecosystem management. Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, biopolymeric platforms, and quantum dots have proven effective across wastewater purification, soil/groundwater bioremediation, nanobiosensing, and sustainable agriculture. Biological and "green" synthesis approaches utilizing plant extracts, fungi, bacteria, and algae have emerged as sustainable alternatives to traditional physical and chemical fabrication routes, bypassing toxic solvents and reducing production costs. These green platforms demonstrate high pollutant removal capabilities, effective heavy metal adsorption, dye photo-degradation, microbial pathogen inactivation, and real-time detection of trace contaminants. However, full-scale translation requires addressing systemic issues such as ecotoxicity, environmental bioaccumulation, lifecycle persistence, and regulatory deficits. Integrating green chemistry, high-throughput nanoinformatics, and advanced analytical characterization tools will be necessary to ensure safe, scalable, and sustainable applications. This review comprehensively outlines the state-of-the-art classifications, synthesis mechanisms, functional applications, toxicological risks, and future paradigms of nanotechnology in environmental biotechnology.
Suseela Lanka, Anitha Katta, Mounika Kovvali· International Journal For Mu...· 0 citations
Rising environmental pollutants have prompted the development of more sustainable cleaning methods. This review emphasizes the combined use of biogenic nanoparticles (BNPs) and microorganisms as an eco-friendly, innovative approach to degrading pollutants. It discusses the use of plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria to produce BNP safely, highlighting their benefits, including low toxicity, affordability, and scalability. Thanks to their unique properties, such as high surface area, catalytic activity, and controlled composition, these BNPs are highly effective at degrading heavy metals, organic dyes, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Microorganisms play a vital role in this green technology by aiding BNP production through enzymatic reduction or stabilization. BNPs can enhance microbial metabolism by mediating electron transfer, supporting enzyme cofactors, or sequestering substances. This synergistic effect boosts degradation rates and aids microorganisms’ survival in challenging environments. For instance, biofilms containing BNPs serve as efficient sites for pollutant adsorption and enzymatic breakdown. NPs-microbe hybrids facilitate direct degradation of pollutants within biofilms through redox reactions, thereby detoxifying organic pollutants. This review details the roles of BNPs in photocatalysis and enzymatic processes, highlighting their importance in integrated remediation strategies. It features case studies such as arsenic removal with Fe2O3 BNPs, dye decolorization using fungi-produced AgNPs, and hydrocarbon breakdown via bacterial NP-based composites. The discussion covers factors affecting efficiency, pH, temperature, and NP concentration relevant for field deployment. Challenges addressed include environmental interactions, temporal stability, and ecotoxicity risks. Using the natural properties of green nanomaterials and microbial ecosystems supports circular-economy principles, providing scalable, sustainable solutions to pollution worldwide. Synergistic Pollutant Degradation Using BNPs Eco-friendly BNP synthesis methods (plants, algae, fungi, bacteria) offer low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. BNPs improve degradation through photocatalysis, Fenton-type reactions, and enzymatic catalysis, enhancing microbial activity. Enhanced microbial performance due to BNP-mediated electron shuttling, enzyme support, and protection. Practical applications include remediating heavy metals, dyes, and hydrocarbons, despite known challenges. Synergistic Pollutant Degradation Using BNPs Eco-friendly BNP synthesis methods (plants, algae, fungi, bacteria) offer low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. BNPs improve degradation through photocatalysis, Fenton-type reactions, and enzymatic catalysis, enhancing microbial activity. Enhanced microbial performance due to BNP-mediated electron shuttling, enzyme support, and protection. Practical applications include remediating heavy metals, dyes, and hydrocarbons, despite known challenges.
Environmental pollution from pesticides, synthetic dyes, heavy metals and micro-plastics has become a serious global concern due to their persistence, toxicity and ability to accumulate in living systems. Traditional methods for removing these contaminants are often energy-intensive and costly and may generate secondary pollution, underscoring the need for more sustainable solutions. In this context, green nanotechnology has emerged as a promising and environmentally friendly alternative. This review focuses on recent developments in biomass-derived nanomaterials for pollutant removal, emphasizing the use of renewable resources, including plant materials, microorganisms and agricultural waste. It discusses various green synthesis approaches, including biological and low-energy methods and explains how these materials interact with pollutants via mechanisms such as adsorption, catalytic degradation and redox reactions. Their applications in water purification, soil remediation and air pollution control are also explored. This review also brings together recent progress in biomass‑derived nanomaterials and highlights their pollutant‑specific performance, including heavy‑metal removal efficiencies exceeding 95%, dye degradation rates of 90–98% and pesticide adsorption of up to 85% under optimized conditions. We also compare how different biomass precursors and hybrid green nanomaterials shape reactivity, stability and scalability, while offering a critical assessment of their toxicity profiles and life‑cycle limitations. In addition, the review considers important aspects such as environmental safety, long-term sustainability and the role of these technologies in supporting a circular bioeconomy through waste valorisation. Finally, current challenges and future research directions are outlined, with a focus on developing scalable, cost-effective and safe nanomaterials for real-world environmental applications.
R. K. Rathour, Nitish Sharma, Kalash Jain et al.· Discover Nano· 0 citations
The presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, flame retardants, and personal care products is a growing concern for aquatic systems and human health because these contaminants are persistent and difficult to remove using traditional wastewater treatment methods. Microalgae-based systems have received a lot of attention in recent years as viable and effective methods for the removal of these pollutants. This review addresses the ability of microalgae as a versatile platform for EC removal via bioadsorption, bioaccumulation, and biodegradation. Biodegradation is one of these processes which has been proved to be very effective as it can be used to convert more complex contaminants into less toxic or innocuous compounds. The results show that under optimized growth conditions and higher enzymatic activities, the efficiency of contaminant removal can be significantly improved. Furthermore, the integration of nutrient recovery with microalgal treatment contributes to the overall sustainability and resource efficiency of the system. The review also highlights the new development of microbially synthesized nanoparticles as an eco-friendly green technology to enhance the efficiency of algal-based treatment systems. Overall, microalgal-based processes are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and hold potential for the sustainable management of ECs in wastewater and water bodies.
Shamshad Khan, Cailing Deng, Hrachuhi Galstyan· Water environment research· 0 citations
The contamination of water bodies by industrial effluents is a major environmental challenge. Nanotechnology, particularly the use of nanoparticles (NPs), has emerged as a promising approach for wastewater remediation. However, conventional NP synthesis often relies on toxic reagents and energy-intensive processes, conflicting with sustainability goals. In this context, green synthesis, using biological agents such as plant extracts, microalgae, and microorganisms, has gained attention as an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative. This systematic review aims to analyze recent advances in the application of biogenic NPs for industrial effluent treatment. The study followed the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) protocol to structure the research question, and a systematic search across scientific databases resulted in the selection of 13 high-impact studies. The findings demonstrate the high efficiency of various NPs, including ZnO, Ag, Fe₃O₄, and ternary heterojunctions, in removing recalcitrant pollutants such as toxic metals (e.g., Cr and CN⁻) and organic dyes. Adsorption and photocatalysis were identified as the main removal mechanisms, with degradation efficiencies often exceeding 90%. Key operational parameters, such as pH, contact time, and nanomaterial dosage, significantly influence process performance. Additionally, the studies report good stability, reusability, and low ecotoxicity of biogenic NPs, reinforcing their environmental and technical viability. Overall, green synthesis represents a sustainable and effective platform for developing advanced wastewater treatment technologies aligned with green chemistry and circular economy principles.
D. A. Macena, Beatriz de Mello Massimino Rotta, Naiara Maria Pavani et al.· Green Energy and Environment...· 0 citations
The synthesis methods of nanomaterials, focusing on bottom-up, top-down, and hybrid approaches, as well as the varied applications of nanomaterials, have been a great concern of the present era. Top-down methods like physical vapour deposition, spray processes, freeze-drying, and electrospinning are employed to produce nanofibers and well-integrated structures in thin films. Hybrid synthesis is leveraged for creating innovative nanostructures, and green synthesis serves as an efficient method to mitigate environmental issues. Nanomaterials play a crucial role in environmental remediation, with carbon- and silica-based nanocomposites effectively catalysing pollutants. In the biomedical field, nanocomposites are utilized for imaging, drug delivery, and therapeutic monitoring. In agriculture, nano-fertilizers and nano-pesticides are applied to enhance crop yield and manage pests. The food industry employs nanomaterials to prevent contamination in packaging. Water purification is another widespread application of nanomaterials, removing toxic metals, organic dyes, and bacteria. This review highlights the versatility and potential of nanomaterials in advancing technology and addressing environmental challenges.
Unknown authors· Green Energy and Environment...· 0 citations
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