Microbial treatment of metal pollution — a working biotechnology?

Abstract

Some of the main processes that remove, immobilize or detoxify heavy metals and radionuclides in the natural environment result from microbial activities. These activities can be harnessed to clean up toxic metal wastes before they enter the wider environment. To date, the most successful biotechnological processes utilize biosorption and bioprecipitation, but other processes such as binding by specific macromolecules may have future potential. Technologies using these processes are currently used to control pollution from diverse sources, including smelters and mine workings.