Volume 8, Issue 11, November 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

A Review of Bioremediation
Poornima J1, Deepa lakkshmi. B1, Gowsalya.K1 and Dr. Elumalai M2
1
Research Scholar and 2Assistant Professor
Post Graduate and Research Department of Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology
Government Arts College for Men (Autonomous) Nandanam, Chennai: 600035, Tamilnadu, India.

Abstract:- The process of bioremediation entails altering decades, numerous microorganisms have been discovered to
the surrounding environment to promote the have a high efficiency in absorbing heavy metals (Kuyuck
development of microorganisms that degrade the and Volesky, 1988).
intended contaminants in a polluted medium, such as
soil, water, or subsurface material. The environment's A byproduct of the seafood industry, crab shell (CS)
concentration of heavy metals is influenced by has been utilized as a substrate for anaerobic biological
anthropogenic or natural factors. Industries, electronic processes in the past (Brennan et al. 2006; Buser et al. 2010;
trash, and ore mining are examples of anthropogenic Robinson-Lora and Brennan 2009). As the second most
activities which lead to contamination of heavy metals abundant biopolymer found in nature, chitin is easily broken
like cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, thorium, and down into small particles. Several gigatons of chitin are
uranium that cannot be biodegraded. Bioremediation produced worldwide each year (Howard et al 2003). Most
procedures, on the other hand, have the potential to crab products are utilized in the food sector to manufacture
minimize the mobility of these materials in the canned crabmeat or frozen foods. Trash or byproducts from
subsurface, hence lowering the risk of environmental the manufacturing process can be used to make crab shells at
exposure. Due to runoff, heavy metals from these causes a low cost.
are mostly prevalent in water sources, where they are
absorbed by marine fauna and plants which leads to Heavy metals are harmful to people, and exposure to
ecological and biological disarrays. them has risen due to modern industrialization,
anthropogenic activities, and industry. A hazardous
Keywords:- Bioremediation, Crab Shell. environmental condition that affects hundreds of millions of
people worldwide is the poisoning of water and air by toxic
I. INTRODUCTION metals. Another concern for the health of humans and
animals is the presence of heavy metal pollution in food.
Mining-Influenced Water (MIW) is the consequence of The amounts of heavy metals in food, water, and air are
connections among minerals exposed to oxygen and water investigated in this context (Mousavi et al., 2013; Ghorani-
during mining activities. The effects of these interactions are Azam et al., 2016; Luo et al., 2020).
amplified by bacteria that oxidize both sulfur(S) and iron
(Fe) compounds. MIW is a global concern because of its They might frequently react with biological systems,
ability to contaminate drinking water systems, impair giving up one or more electrons and forming metal cations
aquatic life's growth and reproduction, and cause other that are attracted to the nucleophilic sites of vital
issues connected to its toxicity to Organism (Banks et macromolecules. On numerous human organs, heavy metals
al.,1997). Since most cleanup sites are far away or have several damaging acute and chronic consequences.
connected to abandoned mines, treatment systems that are Damage to the gastrointestinal and renal systems, anomalies
effective, simple to build, and need little maintenance are of the neurological system, immune system malfunction,
greatly desired. birth deformities, and cancer are among the complications
associated with heavy metal toxicity. According to
Heavy metals can impact a range of living organisms, Fernandes Azevedo et al. (2012), Cobbina et al. (2015),
including humans when they are present in the environment. Costa (2019), and Gazwi et al. (2020), there may be
Metals can distinguish themselves from other dangerous cumulative effects from simultaneous exposure to two or
pollutants and accumulate throughout the food chain more metals.
because they are non-biodegradable and can linger in living
tissues. Numerous businesses, through their effluent, emit High concentrations of heavy metals, such as lead (Pb)
heavy metals into the environment. Researchers have and mercury (Hg), can cause severe health issues, including
employed a variety of techniques, including chemical kidney failure, bloody diarrhoea, and stomach colic
precipitation, evaporation, ion exchange, cementation (Bernhoft, 2012; Tsai et al., 2017). Conversely, low-dose
electrolysis, and reverse osmosis, to extract heavy metals exposure poses a subtle and hidden risk unless it is repeated
from industrial effluent (Janson et al.,1982; Grosse,1986). regularly. Its effects can be identified, including negative
impacts on children's IQ and intellectual function as well as
Consequently, diverse biological materials' metal neuropsychiatric disorders like fatigue and anxiety
removal capacities have been concentrated on removing (Mazumdar et al., 2011).
harmful metals from dilute wastewater. Over the last two

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Volume 8, Issue 11, November 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Chronic exposure also involves the fact that several show for the first time that under continuous-flow
metals have been discovered to be carcinogenic to humans. conditions, crab-shell chitin can entirely remove metals and
Aberrant alterations in the genome and gene expression have neutralize the pH of AMD.
been suggested as a potential cause, yet the precise
mechanism is unknown. According to Clancy et al. (2012) The purpose of this study was to determine whether
and Koedrith et al. (2013), arsenic, cadmium, and chromium adding a crab shell as a substrate amendment may improve
are carcinogenic metals that can obstruct DNA synthesis and the treatment of high-strength MIW using continuous-flow
repair. Heavy metals are dangerous and carcinogenic in columns with a 16-hour hydraulic residence period. A
dose-dependent ways. In both humans and animals, high- standard substrate column and a sand control were
dose exposure increases DNA damage and causes contrasted with crab shell columns that contained 50–100%
neuropsychiatric issues (Gorini et al., 2014). crab shell. After water was constantly pumped through the
columns for many days, the effluent samples were tested for
II. BIOREMEDIATION metals, dissolved organic carbon, pH, oxidation-reduction
potential, ammonia, acidity, and alkalinity. The entire
In 2007, Daubert et al. conducted research on the degree of metal removal under these substrate conditions
simultaneous occurrence of biological acidity drop, could be evaluated thanks to the addition of an additional
alkalinity rise, and physical sorption of metals using chitin, a passive aeration phase during the substrate treatment, which
multifunctional substrate derived from crab shells, as a was designed to resemble the settling ponds frequently used
potential treatment for AMD. In sacrificial microcosm tests, in practice.
the power of chitinous material derived from crab shells to
reduce the amounts of dissolved metals and acidity in AMD The entire amount of metal removal under these
water obtained from Kittanning Run in Altoona, substrate conditions could be evaluated thanks to the
Pennsylvania, was investigated. The physical adsorption of addition of an additional passive aeration phase following
iron to chitin, the chemical precipitation of the substrate treatment, which was designed to resemble the
aluminium hydroxide (Al (OH)3), and the biologically settling ponds frequently used in practice. More than double
induced precipitation of manganese sulphide (MnS) were the mass of metals was removed and twice the volume of
the anticipated methods of removing dissolved metals from MIW was treated using a 70% crab shell + 30% SMC
this system. For the first time, the results of this substrate ratio. A treatment efficiency of 1.2 g substrate per
investigation demonstrate that chitin can be utilized as a gallon MIW was established as a design parameter for field-
substitute substrate for the therapy of AMD. scale systems, as opposed to 2.3 g per litre for conventional
substrate. Even yet, the cost is higher than that of typical
 Bench-Scale Test: substrates. The effectiveness of the crab shell adjustment
In bench-scale testing, crab-shell chitin (SC-20) was makes the VFP 50% less expensive and allows for a 50%
examined for its capacity to improve biological reduction in its area footprint.
denitrification. Highly reducing conditions were created in
the presence of SC-20, allowing denitrification and sulphate The ability of crab shells to extract heavy metals from
reduction of aerated water. Rapid protein degradation in SC- aqueous solutions was contrasted with many other sorbents
20 resulted in a substantial initial release of ammonium and (zeolite, cation exchange resin, granular activated carbon,
carbon. In contrast, a slower, continual release of calcium and powdered activated carbon). To conduct the studies,
carbonate from the crab shell kept the pH constant different heavy metal ion solutions (Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr) were
throughout the testing. SC-20 chitin's denitrification rates used. According to the order of heavy metal removal
and lifespan are equivalent to, if not better, those reported capacity and initial heavy metal removal rate, the following
previously for other polymeric substrates. Depending on the activated carbon sources were found to be effective: crab
demand of the surrounding microbial community near the shell, cation exchange resin, zeolite, and powdered activated
treatment zone, it may be necessary to remove excess carbon. Crab shell therefore functions effectively as a
ammonium and organic materials during the initial biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals. The results of
application of SC-20. The work was completed by Mary An et al. (2001) show that Pb and Cr are removed more
Ann Robinson-Lora in 2008. frequently than Cd and Cu, indicating that heavy metal
removal is selective.
The investigation was conducted by Mary Ann
Robinson-Lora 2009, she revealed that in batch microcosms Lack of effective and efficient pollution management,
and continuous-flow column studies, crab-shell chitin was and cleanup solutions, aquaculture has become one of the
investigated as a multifunctional substrate for treating acid most significant contributors to lake eutrophication. This
mine drainage (AMD). Crab-shell chitin treated AMD from research offers a novel ecological dam system that
three separate sites in microcosms, with comparable results: comprises biofilter floating beds and plant floating beds that
pH increased in two days, alkalinity increased in one day, form an enclosure around the breeding region while
and sulphate was reduced. Hydraulic retention was enough allowing lake water to pass through. In Yangcheng Lake,
to elevate the pH and alkalinity in columns. Metals (Al, Fe, China, a pilot-scale test was done to assess pollution control
and Mn) were eliminated, and geochemical modelling and in situ bioremediation during the breeding of Chinese
suggests they precipitated as insoluble hydroxides, mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis). In comparison to the
sulphides, and carbonates. Manganese and iron have seen breeding zone, the test zone showed a small improvement in
breakthroughs, while aluminium has never. These findings water quality. The biofilm that developed on the biofilter

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Volume 8, Issue 11, November 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
was critical in the elimination of organic contaminants and [13]. Ghorani-Azam, A., Riahi-Zanjani, B., and Balali-
nitrogen as reported by (Ni et al 2017) Mood, M. (2016). Effects of air pollution on human
health and practical measures for prevention in Iran. J.
III. CONCLUSION Res. Med. Sci., 21, 65. doi:10.4103/1735-1995.189
[14]. Mousavi, S. R., Balali-Mood, M., Riahi-Zanjani, B.,
This review paper demonstrates the several Yousefzadeh, H., and Sadeghi, M. (2013).
applications of bioremediation using crab shell that is chitin Concentrations of mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium,
and provides a comprehensive explanation of the process for arsenic and aluminium in irrigation water wells and
effectively managing pollution and eliminating heavy metals wastewater used for agriculture in Mashhad,
from aqueous solutions for human benefits and future use northeastern Iran. Int. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 4 (2
April), 80–86.
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