Current Trends and Future Perspectives in the Remediation of Polluted Water, Soil and Air—A Review

Abstract

The protection of all environmental compartments (water, soil, air) is of great interest for the normal functioning of life on Earth. The environment is systematically polluted with different concentrations of physical, biological and chemical pollutants. For the purpose of environmental protection, numerous in situ and ex situ biological, chemical and physical remediation techniques have been developed. Most techniques have limitations, such as high cost, processing time or environmental feasibility. In general, biological techniques have proven to be the most environmentally friendly compared to chemical and physical techniques. Furthermore, remediation is an extremely complex procedure due to the complexity of the pollutant composition. Therefore, the implementation of individual physical, biological or chemical remediation techniques is often not sufficient for adequate remediation of the polluted environment. Accordingly, for more economical and efficient environmental remediation, it is recommended to use a combination of techniques that should meet the requirements of efficiency and treatment duration. Ultimately, this review provides a concise overview of the recent application of physical, biological and chemical remediation techniques to all compartments of the polluted environment. A critical review of existing knowledge on environmental remediation through a search of the relevant literature has helped to assess the basic challenges and limitations that arise in the issue of environmental remediation, as well as providing recommendations and guidelines for future research.

The function of microbial enzymes in breaking down soil contaminated with pesticides: a review

“…Furthermore, residual impacts may be expected after the implementation of remediation process at the closure stage, especially with regard to the future use of the remediated site [ 62 ]. This makes the idea of sustainable remediation pivotal, which incorporates both green and sustainability considerations in the selection and implementation of contaminated site treatment processes, such that overall net benefit is achieved in the aspects of environmental and socioeconomic [ 62 , 64 ].…”

“…To summarize, sustainable remediation techniques must be less energy intensive, prevent pollutant emissions, and create no disruption or controversy in the surrounding community [ 62 , 64 , 70 ]. Bioremediation using microbial-derived enzyme is a safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly method of decontamination [ 65 ].…”

Mitigating Metal/Metalloid Stress in Crops: Strategies for Sustainable Agricultural Resilience

“…Moreover, integrating genetic modifications that enable plants to volatilize metal/ metalloid-explored by the authors in [92], represents a significant advancement in phytoremediation technology. These capabilities, particularly the enhanced mercury volatilization discussed by the authors in [93], leverage natural plant detoxification pathways augmented with engineered enzymatic functions to transform toxic metal forms into less harmful states.…”

Recent Developments in Porphyrin-Based Metal–Organic Framework Materials for Water Remediation under Visible-Light Irradiation

“…Various physicochemical technologies, including precipitation and filtration [12], adsorption [13], electrochemical methods [14], bacterial treatment [15], chemical coagulation [16], and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) [17], have been developed to remove hazardous chemicals from wastewater. AOPs are the most suitable methods for water 2 of 40 remediation because of their low cost, simple procedure, and impressive performance in the decomposition of contaminants into less toxic H 2 O and CO 2 without generating any other contaminants.…”