Biotechnology for Environmental Sustainability

This book covers the broader application of environmental biotechnology for protecting the environment through different bioremediation and biodegradation techniques framed toward removing environmental contaminants, including emerging contaminants. The extensive range of environmental pollutants, which may be organic or inorganic, including toxic heavy metals, radionuclides, synthetic organic dyes, organic compounds, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products, etc., continue to pose a threat to human health and ecosystem functioning. The book covers a comprehensive overview of environmental pollutants, including their fate, behavior, and environmental and health risks associated with them. It describes the utilization of bioremediation and phytoremediation processes to provide a superior alternative removal and detoxification of such toxic environmental pollutants directed toward managing ecosystems. It includes an overview of gene modification and omics technology for environment management for the aesthetic approaches to environmental clean-up. Moreover, the book discusses resource recovery from waste using such technologies, which increases the feasibility of the process. Additionally, the book is designed to provide awareness among its readers about major environmental issues like pollution and its management and control through biotechnological means to promote the sustainable development of our society with minimal environmental impact. It also provides technical content regarding the mechanism of bioremediation, biodegradation, and phytoremediation and their field applicability, along with an overview of emerging pollutants and gene modification techniques for remediation applications.