Bacterial Biofilm Formation for the Remediation of Environmental Pollutants

Biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms enclosed inside an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix adhering to living or non-living surface. It has extensively been studied since it was identified as the primary growth mode of microbial life. As biofilms are extremely resistant to antimicrobials in the clinical set-ups and food processing industries, they have been considered a threat to human health. On the other hand, biofilms also have beneficial properties and they can be exploited due to their suitability for the remediation of pollutants. Biofilms have been proved appropriate for pollutants remediation due to their high microbial biomass and pollutants immobilization capability. It has the ability of treating wastewaters having certain types of contaminants. In this chapter, we will discuss the role of the biofilms in pollutants remediation from the environment. Attention should be given to hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, halogenated compounds, toxic chemicals, pesticides and some heavy metals, as these groups signify the majority of significant pollutants. The biofilm structure and durability along with the varied range of metabolic and structural features make such communities striking performers in ecosystems monitoring and also in biofilm-enabled remediation solutions.