Automobile service station waste assessment and promising biological treatment alternatives: a review.

Abstract

Unprecedented growth in the automobile sector has led to an increased number of automobile service stations across all major cities especially in the developing countries. These service stations release huge amounts of waste that contain objectionable levels of oil and grease (O&G) and heavy metals, amongst other environmentally toxic compounds. Not much literature is available on the hazardous nature, public health concerns, and sustainable treatment options of such an industrial waste. This review throws light on the nuisances caused by the automobile industry waste, the various conventional and promising physical-chemical remediation measures adopted, and the scope of bioremediation for the same. Work on the use of microbial enzymes such as lipases and microbial surface-active agents (biosurfactants) as emerging promising candidates for the bioremediation of metals and O&G contaminated automobile service centre wastewater and soil are especially highlighted in this review article. The adoption of constructed wetlands and regular scientific monitoring of service sector are the aspects that would prove to be critical in sustainable and ecological automobile service station waste management. Stricter environment regulations, along with the growing ecological and environmental awareness, call for stringent monitoring of the service station waste and its treatment in an environmentally sustainable manner. This review can effectively aid in revealing potential hazards of this industrial sectors and in policy making for effective environmental monitoring.