Abstract
Biosurfactants are microbial products that have been increasingly researched due to their many identified advantages, such as low toxicity and high activity at extreme temperatures, but more importantly, they are biodegradable and compatible with the environment. Biosurfactants are versatile products with vast applications in the clean-up of environmental pollutants through biodegradation and bioremediation. They also have applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and other industries. These advantages and wide range of applications have led to the continued interest in biosurfactants. In particular, there is a growing discussion around environmental sustainability and the important role that biosurfactants will increasingly play in the near future, for example, via the use of renewable by-products as substrates, waste reduction, and potential reuse of the treated waste. This has resulted in increased attention on these microbial products in industry. Research highlighting the potential of biosurfactants in environmental sustainability is required to drive efforts to make biosurfactants more viable for commercial and large-scale applications; making them available, cheaper and economically sustainable. The present review discusses the unique relationship between biosurfactants and environmental sustainability, especially the role that biosurfactants play in the clean-up of environmental pollutants and, therefore, increasing environmental protection.
Highlights
Biosurfactants are environmentally friendly microbial products with confirmed abilities for removing petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants from drill cuttings and hydrocarbon-contaminated waste streams
The application of biosurfactants for clean-up of environmental pollutants has been explored for their ability to (a) increase the bioavailability of contaminants to microorganisms through bioremediation enhanced with the addition of biosurfactants, and (b) solubilize and mobilize hydrocarbons in soils through biosurfactant-enhanced washing resulting in removal of the contaminants [1,14,55]
The increasing role of biosurfactants in environmental sustainability confers on them huge importance that cannot be ignored
Summary
Biosurfactants are environmentally friendly microbial products with confirmed abilities for removing petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants from drill cuttings and hydrocarbon-contaminated waste streams (such as soil and refinery wastewater). The increased attention given to biosurfactants is linked to the ongoing emphasis on societies that are sustainable and harmonized with the global environment [20], as well as the need for environmental protection [24]. From the literature, it appears that, while references have been made to sustainable processes of biosurfactant production, the impact and role of biosurfactants in the increasingly popular subject of sustainability has not been fully explored. According to Gavrilescu and Chisti [34], a product is deemed sustainable if it performs well in comparison to its conventional counterparts, shows less toxicity, is more durable, can be recycled, and is biodegradable once its usefulness is exhausted Biosurfactants fulfill all these conditions and more. There is, an increased momentum for research on biosurfactants due to increased environmental awareness and new regulations [3]
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