14 - Advance bioremediation techniques for treatment of phenolic compounds in wastewater

Abstract

Phenol and its derivatives are most noxious pollutants originated from several industrial operations such as coke and coal production, petrochemical, pulp and paper production, pharmaceutical plants, etc. Phenolic compounds cause many health issues due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic properties. In the present scenario, existing conventional treatment methods are not efficient and economic for treatment of phenolic wastewater. Hence, there is an urgent need for decontamination of these toxic pollutants from the environment. Being an economical and ecofriendly technology, bioremediation can be a viable alternative to the conventional treatments for efficient removal of toxic pollutants from wastewater and to protect the ecosystem. Therefore, in this perspective, this chapter provides holistic approach on fundamental and enthusiastic utilization of advanced bioremediation techniques for sustainable treatment of phenolic wastewater. In addition to that this section describes about overview of phenolic compounds, factors affecting bioremediation process and types of microorganisms used for bioremediation of phenolic compounds.