Heavy Metals Microbial Scavengers: Current Trends and Future Perspectives

Contamination of heavy metals in the environment due to the increased industrial and other anthropogenic human activities have been the major global concern because of their toxicity and threat to human life and environment. These heavy metals such as lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe) and mercury (Hg) are being released in significant levels into the ecosystem. Physico - chemical methods of treating the heavy metals contaminants were found less effective, time-consuming and expensive. Bioremediation approach has been reported to have some potential advantages as it uses biological system to remove contaminants from the environment. However one needs to understand complex microbes - metals interactions for the success of the technology. Current review focuses on the use of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae in the cleanup of the heavy metal contaminants from the environment, in order to make the ecosystem sustainable. More emphasis has been laid upon the use of living, dead and immobilized cells of microorganisms for their potential use in bioremediation to remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solution.