Microorganisms: an asset for decontamination of soil

Abstract Soil contaminated by heavy metals, radionuclide, chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene; explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX); petroleum hydrocarbons; polychlorinated biphenyls; petroleum products (diesel, jet fuels, gasoline, kerosene, etc.); and pesticides (atrazine and organophosphates) is a major pervasive problem globally. The underlying problem is man-made and has led to a threat to human healthy life, wildlife, livestock, and entire ecosystems. The existing traditional methods to decontaminate soil are overpriced, labor-intensive, and often result in unanticipated changes to the physicochemical and biological features of the treated soil. Consequently, several approaches have been taken to analyze the most worthwhile solution to deal with contaminated sites. Among the highly potential approach is bioremediation through microorganisms as an eco-friendly and cost-effective clean green technology. This technology harnesses several naturally occurring alleviation processes, such as natural attenuation, biostimulation, and bioaugmentation. This chapter provides an insight into the role of microorganisms in the degradation of xenobiotic compounds, bioremediation techniques, and microbial enzymes and genes with the capability to degrade xenobiotic compounds, as well as their advantages and future perspectives.