Applied Environmental

Biotechnology: Present Scenario

and Future Trends
Garima Kaushik
Editor

Applied Environmental
Biotechnology: Present
Scenario and Future
Trends
Editor
Garima Kaushik
Department of Environmental Science
School of Earth science
Central University of Rajasthan
Kishangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan
India

ISBN 978-81-322-2122-7    ISBN 978-81-322-2123-4 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-81-322-2123-4
Springer New Delhi Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014958089

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Preface

Applied environmental biotechnology is the field of environmental science

and biology that involves the use of living organisms and their by-products in
solving environmental problems like waste and wastewaters. It includes not
only the pure biological sciences such as genetics, microbiology, biochemis-
try, and chemistry but also subjects from outside the sphere of biology, such
as chemical engineering, bioprocess engineering, information technology,
and biophysics.
Cleaning up the contamination and dealing rationally with wastes is, of
course, in everybody’s best interests. Considering the number of problems
in the field of environmental biotechnology and microbiology, the role of
bioprocesses and biosystems for environmental cleanup and control based
on the utilization of microbes and their products is highlighted in this work.
Environmental remediation, pollution control, detection, and monitoring
are evaluated considering the achievement as well as the perspectives in the
development of environmental biotechnology. Various relevant articles are
chosen up to illustrate the main areas of environmental biotechnology: indus-
trial waste water treatment, soil treatment, oil remediation, phytoremedia-
tion, microbial electroremediation, and development of biofuels dealing with
microbial and process engineering aspects. The distinct role of environmen-
tal biotechnology in future is emphasized considering the opportunities to
contribute new approaches and directions in remediation of a contaminated
environment, minimizing waste releases, and developing pollution preven-
tion alternatives using the end-of-pipe technology. To take advantage of these
opportunities, new strategies are also analyzed and produced. These methods
would improve the understanding of existing biological processes in order to
increase their efficiency, productivity, flexibility, and repeatability.
The responsible use of biotechnology to get economic, social, and environ-
mental benefits is highly attractive since the past, such as fermentation prod-
ucts (beer, bread) to modern technologies like genetic engineering, rDNA
technology, and recombinant enzymes. All these techniques are facilitating
new trends of environment monitoring. The twenty-first century has found
microbiology and biotechnology as an emerging area in sustainable environ-
mental protection. The requirement of alternative chemicals, feedstocks for
fuel, and a variety of commercial products has grown dramatically in the past
few decades. To reduce the dependence on foreign exchange, much research

v
vi Preface

has been focussed on environmental biotechnology to develop a sustainable

society with our own ways of recovery and reusing the available resources.
An enormous amount of natural and xenobiotic compounds are added
to the environment every day. By exploring and employing the untapped
potential of microbes and their products, there are possibilities of not only
removing toxic compounds from the environment but also the conversion
and production of useful end products. Basic methodologies and processes
are highlighted in this book which will help in satisfying the expectations of
different level of users/readers.
This work focuses on the alarming human and environmental problems
created by the modern world, and thus provides some suitable solutions to
combat them by applying different forms of environmental studies. With the
application of environmental biotechnology, it enhances and optimizes the
conditions of existing biological systems to make their course of action much
faster and efficient in order to bring about the desired outcome. Various stud-
ies (genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, chemistry) are clubbed together
to find solutions to environmental problems in all phases of the environment
like, air, water, and soil. The 3R philosophy of waste reduction, reuse, and
recycling is a universally accepted solution for waste management. As these
are end-of-pipe treatments, the best approach is developing the approach of
waste prevention through cleaner production. However, even after creation
of waste the best solution to deal with is through biological means, and today
by applying various interdisciplines we can create various by-products from
this waste and utilize them best. Treatment of the various engineering sys-
tems presented in this book will show how an engineering formulation of
the subject flows naturally from the fundamental principles and theories of
chemistry, microbiology, physics, and mathematics and develop a sustainable
solution.
The book introduces various environmental applications, such as bioreme-
diation, phytoremediation, microbial diversity in conservation and explora-
tion, in-silico approach to study the regulatory mechanisms and pathways
of industrially important microorganisms, biological phosphorous removal,
ameliorative approaches for management of chromium phytotoxicity, sus-
tainable production of biofuels from microalgae using a biorefinary approach,
bioelectrochemical systems (BES) for microbial electroremediation, and oil
spill remediation.
This book has been designed to serve as a comprehensive environmen-
tal biotechnology textbook as well as a wide-ranging reference book. The
authors thank all those who have contributed significantly in understanding
the different aspects of the book and submitted their reviews, and at the same
time hope that it will prove of equally high value to advanced undergraduate
and graduate students, research scholars, and designers of water, wastewater,
and other waste treatment systems. Thanks are also due to Springer for pub-
lishing the book.

Kishangarh, Rajasthan, India Garima Kaushik

Acknowledgments

Foremost, I must acknowledge the invaluable guidance I have received from

all my teachers in my academic life. I also thank all my coauthors for their
support, without which this book would have been impossible.
I thank my family for having the patience and taking yet another chal-
lenge which decreased the amount of time I spent with them. Especially, my
daughter Ananya, who took a big part in that sacrifice, and also my husband
Dr. Manish, who encouraged me in his particular way and assisted me in
completing this project.
Speaking of encouragement, I must mention about my head of department
and dean of Earth Sciences School, Central University of Rajasthan, Prof.
K. C. Sharma, whose continuous encouragement and trust helped me in a
number of ways in achieving endeavors like this.
I also thank my colleagues, Dr. Devesh, Dr. Sharmila, Dr. Ritu, and Dr.
Dharampal for their support and invaluable assistance.
No one is a bigger source of inspiration in life than our parents. I have
come across success and failures in my academic life but my parents have
been a continuous source of encouragement during all ups and downs in my
life. I really appreciate my in-laws for always supporting me throughout my
career.
It will be unworthy on my part if I do not mention Prof. I. S. Thakur, my
Ph.D. supervisor who gave me an opportunity to work, learn, and explore the
subject knowledge under his guidance and leadership.
Thank you all for your insights, guidance, and support!

 Garima Kaushik

vii
Contents

1 Bioremediation Technology: A Greener and Sustainable

Approach for Restoration of Environmental Pollution����������������   1
Shaili Srivastava

2 Bioremediation of Industrial Effluents: Distillery Effluent��������� 19

Garima Kaushik

3 In Silico Approach to Study the Regulatory Mechanisms

and Pathways of Microorganisms�������������������������������������������������� 33
Arun Vairagi

4 Microbial Diversity: Its Exploration and Need of Conservation� 43

Monika Mishra

5 Phytoremediation: A Biotechnological Intervention��������������������� 59

Dharmendra Singh, Pritesh Vyas, Shweta Sahni
and Punesh Sangwan

6 Ameliorative Approaches for Management of Chro-

mium Phytotoxicity: Current Promises and Future Directions��� 77
Punesh Sangwan, Prabhjot Kaur Gill, Dharmendra Singh
and Vinod Kumar

7 Management of Environmental Phosphorus Pollution

Using Phytases: Current Challenges and Future Prospects�������� 97
Vinod Kumar, Dharmendra Singh, Punesh Sangwan
and Prabhjot Kaur Gill

Sustainable Production of Biofuels from Microalgae

8 
Using a Biorefinary Approach��������������������������������������������������������� 115
Bhaskar Singh, Abhishek Guldhe, Poonam Singh,
Anupama Singh, Ismail Rawat and Faizal Bux

ix
x Contents

9 Oil Spill Cleanup: Role of Environmental Biotechnology������������ 129

Sangeeta Chatterjee

10 B
 ioelectrochemical Systems (BES) for Microbial
Electroremediation: An Advanced Wastewater
Treatment Technology��������������������������������������������������������������������� 145
Gunda Mohanakrishna, Sandipam Srikanth and Deepak Pant
Contributors

Faizal Bux Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban Univer-
sity of Technology, Durban, South Africa

Sangeeta Chatterjee Centre for Converging Technologies, University of

Rajasthan, Jaipur, India

Prabhjot Kaur Gill Akal School of Biotechnology, Eternal University, Sir-

mour, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abhishek Guldhe Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban

University of Technology, Durban, South Africa

Garima Kaushik Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth

Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India

Vinod Kumar Akal School of Biotechnology, Eternal University, Sirmour,

Himachal Pradesh, India

Monika Mishra Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad, UP, India

Gunda Mohanakrishna Separation & Conversion Technologies, VITO—

Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium

Deepak Pant Separation & Conversion Technologies, VITO—Flemish

Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium

Ismail Rawat Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban

University of Technology, Durban, South Africa

Shweta Sahni Division of Life Sciences, S. G. R. R. I. T. S., Dehradun,

Uttarakhand, India

Punesh Sangwan Department of Biochemistry, C. C. S. Haryana Agricul-

tural University, Hisar, Haryana, India

Anupama Singh Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities, National

Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology, Ranchi, India

xi
xii Contributors

Bhaskar Singh Centre for Environmental Sciences, Central University of

Jharkhand, Ranchi, India

Dharmendra Singh Akal School of Biotechnology, Eternal University,

Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, India

Poonam Singh Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban

University of Technology, Durban, South Africa

Sandipam Srikanth Separation & Conversion Technologies, VITO—

Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Mol, Belgium

Shaili Srivastava Amity School of Earth and Environmental Science, Amity

University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

Arun Vairagi Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad, UP, India

Pritesh Vyas Department of Biotechnology and Allied Sciences, Jyoti

Vidyapeeth Women University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
About the Editor

Dr. Garima Kaushik is currently working as Assistant Professor in Depart-

ment of Environmental Science, School of Earth Science, Central Univer-
sity of Rajasthan. A gold medallist in B. Sc. and M.Sc. from University of
Rajasthan, she obtained Ph.D. in the field of Environmental Biotechnology,
from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has also served as an
Environmental Consultant to World Bank funded projects with government
of Rajasthan, namely; Health Care Waste Management (HCWM) and Raj-
asthan Rural Livelihood Project (RRLP). Her areas of research interest are
environmental microbiology, chiefly bioremediation of industrial effluents,
biomedical waste management, enzyme kinetics, applications and biopro-
cess engineering. Another area of her research includes climate change and
rural livelihoods and promotion of environmentally friendly activities in
rural areas for adaptation to climate change. She is also pursuing her future
research in the area on education for sustainable development.
Dr. Kaushik has published several research papers in the field of bioreme-
diation, climate change adaptation in international and national journals and
has contributed in organizing various conferences and seminars. She has also
participated in various academic events at national and international level
and is also the life member of many academic societies.

xiii
Abbreviations

µM Micromolar
AAS Atomic absorption spectrophotometer
ABTS 2,2ʹ-azinodi-3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfuric acid
ANOVA Analysis of variance
APHA American Public Health Association
ARDRA Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis
ATP Adenosine triphosphate
BHC Benzene hexachloride
BLAST Basic local alignment search tool
BOD Biological oxygen demand
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CLPP Community level physiological profiling
COD Chemical oxygen demand
CPCB Central Pollution Control Board
CU Color unit
DAPI Diamidino-2-phenylindole
DDT Dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane
DEAE cellulose Diethylaminoethyl cellulose
DGGE Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis
EEA European Environment Agency
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FISH Fluorescence in situ hybridization
FT-IR Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy
GC-MS Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry
GMOs Genetically modified organisms
HRT Hydraulic retention time
IAS In situ air sparging
IC Ion chromatography
IR Infra-red band
LMWOA Low molecular weight organic acids
LNAPL Light nonaqueous phase liquid
MEGAN MEta Genome Analyzer
MOCB Miniature oil containment boom
NADH Nucleotide adenosine dihydride
NCBI National Center for Biotechnology Information

xv
xvi Abbreviations

PAH Poly aromatic hydrocarbon

PCB Polychlorinated biphenyl
PCDD Polychlorinated dibenzodioxin
PCDF Polychlorinated dibenzofuran
PCP Pentachlorophenol
PGDB Pathways/Genome Databases
RF Radio frequency
RFLP Restriction fragment length polymorphism
SSCP Single strand conformation polymorphism
TCE Trichloroethylene
UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
UNESCO The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and
Culture
UVF Ultraviolet Fluorescence Spectrometry
WF Water footprint
WFCC World Federation for Culture Collection
WNO World Nature Organization