Biotechnology for Sustainable Remediation of Contaminated Wastewater

In recent years, the treatment of wastewater has become a crucial issue due to the increasing demand for limited resources and water pollution as one of the major risk factors. Various hazardous materials discharged by industries and manufacturing companies have a detrimental effect on water quality, rendering it unsafe for drinking and other daily uses. Water is a primary and universal solvent essential for sustaining life and agriculture. Sustainable development encompasses three pillars, including environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability. In the current era, water pollution is a significant public concern as it adversely affects all organisms. Humans play a significant role in sustaining the environment by recycling the majority of components to minimize waste generation and maintain the aesthetic beauty of the environment. Therefore, innovative approaches are necessary to combat this threatening situation. Rapid industrialization, fast population growth, climate change, and unsustainable development are the primary concerns responsible for the degradation of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of both surface and underground water resources. Although regulatory authorities have framed stringent rules and policies, industries continue to discharge a vast amount of pollutants daily due to poor water supply and sanitation systems. Various treatment procedures are used for wastewater treatment, including technical and biotechnological approaches such as activated sludge process, activated carbon-based adsorption, membrane filtration, ion exchange, coagulation and flocculation, reverse osmosis (RO), flotation and extraction, electrochemical treatment, advanced oxidations, and biosorption. Thus, this chapter focuses on the biotechnological approach to treating wastewater.