Recent Trends in Microbial Bioremediation of Industrial Wastewater: Challenges and Alternatives

Industrial wastewater, containing various toxic elements, poses a significant global issue. Volume of wastewater generation is increasing daily on account of vast number of industries. These toxic contaminants can induce many acute impacts on the health of the human as well as ecological. Hence, the need has arisen to treat the industrial wastewater for its further reuse. Different remediation techniques such as reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, electro-coagulation, adsorption, bioremediation (phytoremediation and microbial remediation), etc., are being utilized for the treatment of industrial wastewater. Out of this, biological methods are being proffered around the world due to the relatively lower cost, simple operation and less chance of producing secondary pollution. Moreover, it can be considered as an eco-friendly approach. Therefore, in present chapter, recent trends in bioremediation of industrial wastewater using different microbial species (Bacteria, Protozoa, Metazoa, Filamentous bacteria, Algae, Fungi) will be discussed. So that it could be helpful in the reuse of industrial wastewater for different applications.