Microbial Bioremediation Research Articles

Efficient bioremediation of PAHs-contaminated soils by a methylotrophic enrichment culture

Bioaugmentation effectively enhances microbial bioremediation of hazardous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated environments. While screening for pyrene-degrading bacteria from a former manufactured gas plant soil (MGPS), the mixed enrichment culture was found to be more efficient in PAHs biodegradation than the culturable pure strains. Interestingly, analysis of 16S rRNA sequences revealed that the culture was dominated by a previously uncultured member of the family Rhizobiaceae. The culture utilized C1 and other methylotrophic substrates, including dimethylformamide (DMF), which was used as a solvent for supplementing the culture medium with PAHs. In the liquid medium, the culture rapidly degraded phenanthrene, pyrene, and the carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), when provided as the sole carbon source or with DMF as a co-substrate. The efficiency of the culture in the bioremediation of PAHs from the MGPS and a laboratory waste soil (LWS) was evaluated in bench-scale slurry systems. After 28 days, 80% of Σ16 PAHs were efficiently removed from the inoculated MGPS. Notably, the bioaugmentation achieved 90% removal of four-ringed and 60% of highly recalcitrant five- and six-ringed PAHs from the MGPS. Likewise, almost all phenanthrene, pyrene, and 65% BaP were removed from the bioaugmented LWS. This study highlights the application of the methylotrophic enrichment culture dominated by an uncultured bacterium for the efficient bioremediation of PAHs.

Biodegradation of tylosin in swine wastewater by Providencia stuartii TYL-Y13: Performance, pathway, genetic background, and risk assessment

Microbial bioremediation offers a solution to the problem of residual antibiotics in wastewater associated with animal farms. Efficient degradation of antibiotic residues depends upon the genetic make-up of microbial degraders, which requires a comprehensive understanding of the degradation mechanisms. In this study, a novel, efficient tylosin (TYL)-degrading bacterium, Providencia stuartii TYL-Y13 (Y13) was isolated, which could completely degrade 100 mg/L TYL within 15 h under optimal operating conditions at 40 ℃, pH 7.0 %, and 1 % (v/v) bacterial inoculation rate. Whole genome sequencing revealed that strain Y13 consists of a circular chromosome and two plasmids. A new biodegradation pathway of TYL including desugarification, hydrolysis, and reduction reactions was proposed through the analysis of biodegradation products. It was demonstrated that strain Y13 gradually decreased the biotoxicity of TYL and its metabolites based on the results of the ecological structural activity relationships (ECOSAR) model analysis and toxicity assessment. Moreover, Y13 promoted the reduction of the target macrolide resistance genes in wastewater and disappeared within 84 h. These results shed new light on the mechanism of TYL biodegradation and better utilization of microbes to remediate TYL contamination.

Bioremediation Capabilities of Hymeniacidon perlevis (Porifera, Demospongiae) in a Land-Based Experimental Fish Farm

The expansion of aquaculture practices in coastal areas can alter the balance of microbial communities in nearby marine ecosystems with negative impacts on both farmed and natural species, as well as on human health through their consumption. Among marine filter-feeder invertebrates, poriferans are known as effective microbial bioremediators, even though they are currently still underutilized in association with fish mariculture plants. In this study, we investigate the microbial bioremediation capability of the demosponge Hymeniacidon perlevis in an experimental land-based fish farm where this species occurred consistently in the drainage conduit of the wastewater. Microbiological analyses of cultivable vibrios, total culturable bacteria (37 °C), fecal and total coliforms, and fecal enterococci were carried out on the fish farm wastewater in two sampling periods: autumn and spring. The results showed that H. perlevis is able to filter and remove all the considered bacterial groups from the wastewater, including human potential pathogens, in both sampling periods. This finding sustains the hypothesis of H. perlevis use as a bioremediator in land-based aquaculture plants as well.

Dimethoate residues in Pakistan and mitigation strategies through microbial degradation: a review.

Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are used extensively for crop protection worldwide due to their high water solubility and relatively low persistence in the environment compared to other pesticides, such as organochlorines. Dimethoate is a broad-spectrum insecticide that belongs to the thio-organophosphate group of OPs. It is applied to cash crops, animal farms, and houses. It has been used in Pakistan since the 1960s, either alone or in a mixture with other OPs or pyrethroids. However, the uncontrolled use of this pesticide has resulted in residual accumulation in water, soil, and tissues of plants via the food chain, causing toxic effects. This review article has compiled and analyzed data reported in the literature between 1998 and 2021 regarding dimethoate residues and their microbial bioremediation. Different microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae have shown potential for bioremediation. However, an extensive role of bacteria has been observed compared to other microorganisms. Twenty bacterial, three fungal, and one algal genus with potential for the remediation of dimethoate have been assessed. Active bacterial biodegraders belong to four classes (i) alpha-proteobacteria, (ii) gamma-proteobacteria, (iii) beta-proteobacteria, and (iv) actinobacteria and flavobacteria. Microorganisms, especially bacterial species, are a sustainable technology for dimethoate bioremediation from environmental samples. Yet, new microbial species or consortia should be explored.

Microbial Fuel Cell Bio-Remediation of Lambda Cyhalothrin, Malathion and Chlorpyrifos on Loam Soil Inoculated with Bio-Slurry

In microbial fuel cell technology, the substrate is consumed by microbes in anaerobic conversion of substrate to electricity. Bio-remediation of pollutants involves microbial environmental cleanup using green approach. The primary problems with pesticides are linked to the non-negligible proportion of the sprayed active ingredient that does not reach its intended target thereby contaminating environmental compartments persistently. The primary objective of this study was to assess the potential of microbial fuel cell technology in bio-remediation of lambda cyahlothrin, chlorpyrifos and malathion in Limuru loam soil. H-shaped double chamber microbial fuel cell was fabricated where the anodic chamber was loaded with 750 mL loam soil inoculated with 750 mL bio-slurry doped with 10 mL of 10 ppm lambda cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos and malathion pesticide solutions. The cathodic chamber was loaded with 1500 mL distilled water. The setup was incubated for a 90 days retention time where voltage and current were recorded daily using a multi-meter. The degradation level was assessed using a GC-MS after sample extraction using standard QuEChERs method. The voltage generated from the pesticide doped loam soil showed an upward trend from day 0 to day 15 in lambda cyhalothrin and malathion and from day 0 to day 20 in chlorpyrifos and pesticide mixture after which constant readings were observed for three days with downward trends thereafter. The maximum generated voltage was 0.537 V, 0.571 V, 0.572 V and 0.509 V in chlorpyrifos, lambda cyhalothrin, malathion and pesticide mix (MCL) respectively. The bioremediation levels for chlorpyrifos and malathion were 65.80 % and 71.32 %, respectively while no detectable, lambda cyhalothrin was observed after day 60 of the study. This study concludes that bioremediation of lambda cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos and malathion in Limuru loam soil can be achieved using microbial fuel cells.

Recent advancements in microbial-assisted remediation strategies for toxic contaminants

Continuous rising anthropogenic sources such as industrialization caused environmental contamination and health hazards. Toxic pollutants deposition in water and soil streams is now recognized as a severe environmental issue that has a variety of negative consequences on the health of plants and animals. Approximately 300–400 million tons of industrial wastewater containing toxic materials such asheavy metals, hydrocarbons, and radioactive elements are released into the environment each year without proper treatment. Such dangerous chemicals have mutagenic and cancerous impacts on human health, wildlife, and vegetation when they are released into the environment. Several innovative technical approaches are currently being explored to speed up the clean-up of polluted sites. Through the all-encompassing activity of microbes, remediation is heavily involved in the deterioration, removal, immobilization, or detoxification of various chemical wastes and environment. Microbes may thrive in a wide range of conditions and produce metabolites that degrade and convert pollutants, allowing contaminated facilities to be naturally rejuvenated. Microorganisms have a range of metals sequestration capabilities that help them to have higher metals biosorption abilities.The focus of this article will be on a microbiological technique that is reportedly employed in pollution monitoring to reduce pollutant concentrations. We investigate the prerequisites for analysing scientific data in order to construct synthetic biological models of microbial bioremediation in this review, which includes studying the prerequisites for developing synthetic biological models of microbial bioremediation. In addition, the importance of microbial technology in bioremediation for the future has been described.

Plants-Microorganisms-Based Bioremediation for Heavy Metal Cleanup: Recent Developments, Phytoremediation Techniques, Regulation Mechanisms, and Molecular Responses.

Rapid industrialization, mine tailings runoff, and agricultural activities are often detrimental to soil health and can distribute hazardous metal(loid)s into the soil environment, with harmful effects on human and ecosystem health. Plants and their associated microbes can be deployed to clean up and prevent environmental pollution. This green technology has emerged as one of the most attractive and acceptable practices for using natural processes to break down organic contaminants or accumulate and stabilize metal pollutants by acting as filters or traps. This review explores the interactions between plants, their associated microbiomes, and the environment, and discusses how they shape the assembly of plant-associated microbial communities and modulate metal(loid)s remediation. Here, we also overview microbe–heavy-metal(loid)s interactions and discuss microbial bioremediation and plants with advanced phytoremediation properties approaches that have been successfully used, as well as their associated biological processes. We conclude by providing insights into the underlying remediation strategies’ mechanisms, key challenges, and future directions for the remediation of metal(loid)s-polluted agricultural soils with environmentally friendly techniques.

A Review on the Genetically Engineered Microbes for Bioremediation of THMs Namely Hg and Cr

The field of bioremediation has evolved over the past few decades, owing to the tremendous addition to the knowledge and growth of genetics and genomics. At present, various tools of genetic engineering are employed to tackle THM pollution using various microorganisms and plants. Several challenges limit efficient utilization of Genetically Engineered Microorganisms, particularly the efficiency in open field application, the effect on native flora, and dynamic field factors. Nonetheless, various successful examples of the application of GEMs were seen, some of which are the use of “mer” resistance genes for the treatment of Hg and “ChrR” in the treatment of chromium. The mode of application of bioremediation varies depending on the type, site, and size of the polluted area. Further research is needed to tackle the challenges to the open field applications of GEMs for bioremediation of THM’s along with efforts to make the public aware of these techniques.

Characterisation of novel microbial strains Proteus mirabilis and Bordetella avium for heavy metal bioremediation and dye degradation.

The entitled study focuses on exploring the microbial diversity and its applicability in the remediation of metal contaminated soil using microbes, which is a reliable and cost effective technique. Tungsten enriched soil of Kuhi-Agargaon-Khobna region (Nagpur, India) were analysed by XRF method to detect heavy metals. The traditional microbiological techniques were used to isolate tungsten tolerant microbes. Applicability of these microbes in bioremediation and Azo dye degradation was mainly studied. The two novel bacterial strains, Proteus mirabilis (RS2K) and Bordetella avium (RS3K), were isolated and identified to show the tolerance to tungsten, using 16S rDNA and phylogenetic analysis. These novel strains have also shown the tolerance to other metallic salts viz., (sodium) tungsten, tungstic acid, ammonium metaparatungstate, mercuric chloride, cobalt chloride and azo dye. These microbes were found to accumulate tungsten intracellularly as confirmed through ICP-MS and SEM-EDS analyses. Microbes exhibited well-equipped cellular mechanisms for metal tolerance to survive in heavy metal-laden ecology. Current study contains substantial potential in bioleaching of heavy metals and green mining along with Nano bioremediation for heavy metal pollution.

Microbial bioremediation of produced water under different redox conditions in marine sediments

The discharge of produced water from offshore oil platforms is an emerging concern due to its potential adverse effects on marine ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the feasibility and capability of using marine sediments for the bioremediation of produced water. We utilized a combination of porewater and solid phase analysis in a series of sediment batch incubations amended with produced water and synthetic produced water to determine the biodegradation of hydrocarbons under different redox conditions. Significant removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) compounds was observed under different redox conditions, with biodegradation efficiencies of 93−97% in oxic incubations and 45−93% in anoxic incubations with nitrate, iron oxide or sulfate as the electron acceptor. Higher biodegradation rates of BTEX were obtained by incubations dominated by nitrate reduction (104−149 nmolC/cm3/d) and oxygen respiration (52−57 nmolC/cm3/d), followed by sulfate reduction (14−76 nmolC/cm3/d) and iron reduction (29−39 nmolC/cm3/d). Chemical fingerprint analysis showed that hydrocarbons were biodegraded to smaller alcohols/acids under oxic conditions compared to anoxic conditions with nitrate, indicating that the presence of oxygen facilitated a more complete biodegradation process. Toxicity of treated produced water to the marine copepod Acartia tonsa was reduced by half after sediment incubations with oxygen and nitrate. Our study emphasizes the possibility to use marine sediment as a biofilter for treating produced water at sea without extending the oil and gas platform or implementing a large-scale construction.

Cadmium-Tolerant Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum Improves Growth Attributes and Strengthens Antioxidant System in Chili (Capsicum frutescens)

The remediation of potentially toxic element-polluted soils can be accomplished through the use of microbial and plant-assisted bioremediation. A total of 32 bacteria were isolated from soil samples contaminated with potentially toxic elements. The isolated bacterial strain DG-20 showed high tolerance to cadmium (up to 18 mM) and also showed bioaccumulative Cd removal properties, as demonstrated by atomic absorption spectroscopy studies. By sequencing the 16S rRNA gene, this strain was identified as Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum. Under stress and normal conditions, isolate DG-20 also produced a wide range of plant growth promoting traits, including ammonia production (51–73 µg/mL) and IAA production (116–183 µg/mL), alongside siderophore production and phosphate solubilization. Additionally, pot experiments were conducted to determine whether the strain could promote Chili growth when Cd salts are present. Over the control, bacterial colonization increased root and shoot lengths significantly up to 58% and 60%, respectively. Following inoculation with the Cd-tolerant strain, the plants also increased in both fresh and dry weight. In both the control and inoculated plants, Cd was accumulated more in roots than in shoots, indicating that Chili was phytostabilizing Cd levels. Besides improving the plant attributes, Cd-tolerant bacteria were also found to increase the amount of total chlorophyll, proline, total phenol, and ascorbic acid in the soil when added to the soil. These results suggest that the inoculant provides protection to plants from negative effects. The results of the present study predict that the combined properties of the tested strain in terms of Cd tolerance and plant growth promotion can be exploited for the purpose of the bioremediation of Cd, and for the improvement of Chili cultivation in soils contaminated with Cd.

WITHDRAWN: Microbial bioremediation of produced water under different redox conditions in marine sediments

This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal .

Importance of Proteomics in Bioremediation

Abstract: Bioremediation can be used to help clean up contaminated regions today since environmental contamination is a major issue. The use of microbial mediated bioremediation offers a lot of potential for effectively restoring a polluted environment, but a lack of detail about the parameters that determine whether certain microbial communities can grow and reproduce in a polluted environment makes this kind of bioremediation challenging. Transcriptomics, proteomics, and interactomics are flourishing fields that hold great potential for addressing long-standing issues about the molecular mechanisms that drive the mineralization pathway. With the aid of microarray technology, transcriptomic approaches have been applied to study the structure and expression of transcripts during mineralisation. However, transcripts cannot generally cause any physiological effect; instead, they must be translated into proteins with significant functions. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) is a powerful tool for identifying these proteins via proteomic techniques. The current advancements in mass spectrometry (MS) and protein microarrays are playing an important role in functional proteomics. A comprehensive genome-wide analysis of differentially expressed proteins and a screen for proteins that interact with specific mineralization factors would allow us to gain a better understanding of bioremediation. Keywords: bioremediation, transcriptomics, proteomics, interactomics, microarray

Omics approaches in bioremediation of environmental contaminants: An integrated approach for environmental safety and sustainability

Non-degradable pollutants have emerged as a result of industrialization, population growth, and lifestyle changes, endangering human health and the environment. Bioremediation is the process of clearing hazardous contaminants with the help of microorganisms, and cost-effective approach. The low-cost and environmentally acceptable approach to removing environmental pollutants from ecosystems is microbial bioremediation. However, to execute these different bioremediation approaches successfully, this is imperative to have a complete understanding of the variables impacting the development, metabolism, dynamics, and native microbial communities' activity in polluted areas. The emergence of new technologies like next-generation sequencing, protein and metabolic profiling, and advanced bioinformatic tools have provided critical insights into microbial communities and underlying mechanisms in environmental contaminant bioremediation. These omics approaches are meta-genomics, meta-transcriptomics, meta-proteomics, and metabolomics. Moreover, the advancements in these technologies have greatly aided in determining the effectiveness and implementing microbiological bioremediation approaches. At Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-The government placed special emphasis on exploring how molecular and “omic” technologies may be used to determine the nature, behavior, and functions of the intrinsic microbial communities present at pollution containment systems. Several omics techniques are unquestionably more informative and valuable in elucidating the mechanism of the process and identifying the essential player's involved enzymes and their regulatory elements. This review provides an overview and description of the omics platforms that have been described in recent reports on omics approaches in bioremediation and that demonstrate the effectiveness of integrated omics approaches and their novel future use.

A review on mitigation of emerging contaminants in an aqueous environment using microbial bio-machines as sustainable tools: Progress and limitations

In recent years, the management and mitigation of emerging contaminants (ECs) and pollutants in the environment engaging various bioresources has been an incipient focus of research. The advancement of distinct processes to furnish definite requirements is immensely explored in the literature. The occurrence of manifold emerging pollutants (EPs) and the choice of a specific resource or a system to handle such xenobiotics is a challenge. Various strategies can be combined with prevailing remediation technologies to eliminate emerging contaminants from the environment effectively. However, the employment of microbial bio-machines to mitigate ECs receives a priority due to its renewable and eco-friendly approach over other chemical treatments. Microbial bioremediation and mitigatory strategies are impacted by numerous factors and operational settings in scaled-up treatments. This review focuses on the impacts of ECs on humans and ecosystems, the implication of various groups of microbes (Bacteria, Fungi, and Algae) as natural bio-machines, and systems for handling ECs in the aqueous environment. The mitigation mechanisms of selected microbial bio-machines and the merits along with challenges in mitigating ECs using unique strategies are also discussed.

Identification and Characterization of Peruvian Native Bacterial Strains as Bioremediation of Hg-Polluted Water and Soils Due to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Secocha Annex, Arequipa

The water and soils pollution due to mercury emissions from mining industries represents a serious environmental problem and continuous risk to human health. Although many strategies have been designed for the recovery or elimination of this metal from environmental sources, microbial bioremediation has proven to be the most effective and environmentally friendly strategy and thus control heavy metal contamination. The main objective of this work, using native bacterial strains obtained from contaminated soils of the Peruvian region of Secocha, was to identify which of these strains would have growth capacity on mercury substrates to evaluate their adsorption behavior and mercury removal capacity. Through a DNA analysis (99.78% similarity) and atomic absorption spectrometry, the Gram-positive bacterium Zhihengliuella alba sp. T2.2 was identified as the strain with the highest mercury removal capacity from culture solutions with an initial mercury concentration of 162 mg·L−1. The removal capacity reached values close to 39.5% in a period of incubation time of 45 days, with maximum elimination efficiency in the first 48 h. These results are encouraging and show that this native strain may be the key to the bioremediation of water and soils contaminated with mercury.

Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 Possesses Aromatic Catabolic Versatility and Degrades Benzene in the Presence of Mercury and Cadmium.

Heavy metal co-contamination in crude oil-polluted environments may inhibit microbial bioremediation of hydrocarbons. The model heavy metal-resistant bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34 possesses cadmium and mercury resistance, as well as genes related to the catabolism of hazardous BTEX aromatic hydrocarbons. The aims of this study were to analyze the aromatic catabolic potential of C. metallidurans CH34 and to determine the functionality of the predicted benzene catabolic pathway and the influence of cadmium and mercury on benzene degradation. Three chromosome-encoded bacterial multicomponent monooxygenases (BMMs) are involved in benzene catabolic pathways. Growth assessment, intermediates identification, and gene expression analysis indicate the functionality of the benzene catabolic pathway. Strain CH34 degraded benzene via phenol and 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde. Transcriptional analyses revealed a transition from the expression of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (tomB) in the early exponential phase to catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (catA1 and catA2) in the late exponential phase. The minimum inhibitory concentration to Hg (II) and Cd (II) was significantly lower in the presence of benzene, demonstrating the effect of co-contamination on bacterial growth. Notably, this study showed that C. metallidurans CH34 degraded benzene in the presence of Hg (II) or Cd (II).

The Potential Binding Interaction and Hydrolytic Mechanism of Carbaryl with the Novel Esterase PchA in Pseudomonas sp. PS21

Microbial bioremediation is a very potent and eco-friendly approach to alleviate pesticide pollution in agricultural ecosystems, and hydrolase is an effective element for contaminant degradation. In the present study, a novel Mn2+-dependent esterase, PchA, that efficiently hydrolyzes carbamate pesticides with aromatic structures was identified from Pseudomonas sp. PS21. The hydrolytic activity was confirmed to be related closely to the core catalytic domain, which consists of six residues. The crucial residues indirectly stabilized the position of carbaryl via chelating Mn2+ according to the binding model clarified by molecular simulations, and the additional hydrophobic interactions between carbaryl with several hydrophobic residues also stabilized the binding conformation. The residue Glu398, by serving as the general base, might activate a water molecule and facilitate PchA catalysis. This work offers valuable insights into the binding interaction and hydrolytic mechanism of carbaryl with the hydrolase PchA and will be crucial to designing strategies leading to the protein variants that are capable of degrading related contaminants.

Ecotoxicity testing of paraquat metabolites degraded by filamentous fungi in model organism

Paraquat has been intensively used worldwide for several decades for the purpose of weed control in profit crop plantation. This leads to the accumulation of the herbicide and its metabolites in the environment. One promising method to reduce and/or eliminate the paraquat-contaminants is via microbial bioremediation. Filamentous fungi, Aspergillus tamarii PRPY-2, isolated from rubber tree plantation in the northern part of Thailand exhibited the ability to degrade paraquat in liquid media at laboratory scale. Thus, utilization of this species in paraquat-contaminated sites is potentially feasible. However, metabolites generated during biodegradation processes are possibly more toxic than the parent compound. Hence, before introducing this microbe into the environment, it is necessary to ensure that metabolites have no adverse effects on the ecosystem. The present work focuses on the study of the toxic effects of paraquat metabolites on the eukaryote model organism using Saccharomyces cerevisiae of wild type and five mutant strains. The relation between paraquat degradation and growth of fungi was firstly performed. Ecotoxicity testing was done via chemo-genetic screening method. Oxidative stress-related enzyme, superoxide dismutase of S. cerevisiae was also verified. The results illustrated that fungi could degrade 100% of paraquat in Czapeck Dox liquid medium within 21 days. Ecotoxicity data indicated that all yeast strains grew better in a medium containing paraquat metabolites than the one containing parent compound. Among them, mutant lacking superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene was the most affected strain. Moreover, enzyme activity of yeast cells exposed to paraquat metabolites was found to be lower than that exposed to parent compound. In summary, metabolites degraded by A. tamarii are less toxic to model organism than paraquat. Therefore, the utilization of this species for remediation purpose was found to be safe for the environment.

Fungi as veritable tool in bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-polluted wastewater.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of diverse forms have found application in different industries and man heavily depends on these compounds for various purposes. Thus, tonnes of thousands of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are released into various water bodies yearly, resulting in pollution with great effects on aquatic lives, man, and the ecosystem at large. Hydrocarbon pollutions in wastewater are remediated by some physical and chemical methods with most of these techniques leaving a different form of harmful byproducts after the remediation. Furthermore, several species of fungi are important in the microbial bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in wastewater as they are capable of using these compounds as their source of carbon and energy in the presence of oxygenase. Fungal bioremediation is cost-effective, safer, and ecologically friendly, in addition to fungi producing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradative enzymes in high amounts, both intracellularly and extracellularly. Although optimizing the growth requirement of fungi in the field is a major challenge, current advances in the application of fungi in bioremediation address this. This review discusses in detail the technology of fungal bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in wastewater and its beneficial roles to man and the ecosystem. The benefits of remediating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-polluted water with fungi and their metabolites via nanotechnology, immobilization, genomic manipulation, and other technologies to generate value-added products are highlighted in this manuscript. Information in this review will provide useful important insights to researchers and industrial professionals in the bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.