Bioremediation of Pesticides and Heavy Metals: a Discussion about Different Strategies Using Actinobacteria

ALVAREZ, ANALÍA; SAEZ, JULIANA M.; DÁVILA COSTA, JOSÉ; POLTI, MARTA ALEJANDRA; BENIMELI, CLAUDIA SUSANA

Bioremediation of Agricultural Soils

CRC Press

Lugar: Boca Ratón; Año: 2019;

Mixed contamination by organic and inorganic contaminants, also called co-contamination, is a growing problem, and the restoration of affected environments poses a challenge for current technologies. Co-contamination is generally studied using an unrealistic approach since, for simplicity, studies are carried out on a single type of pollutant or type of contamination. The presence of multiple contaminants makes it difficult not only to detect and measure contaminants, but also to evaluate ecotoxicity and environmental impact, and the choice of remediation technologies to be applied since these are usually specific to each type of contaminant. In this context, bioremediation is presented as a more flexible technology because living systems can perform complex reactions that include the degradation of organic pollutants and the conversion of inorganic compounds into non-toxic products, simultaneously or sequentially.