Current Trends in Bioaugmentation Tools for Bioremediation: A Critical Review of Advances and Knowledge Gaps

Abstract

Bioaugmentation is widely used in soil bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and air biofiltration. The addition of microbial biomass to contaminated areas can considerably improve their biodegradation performance. Nevertheless, analyses of large data sets on the topic available in literature do not provide a comprehensive view of the mechanisms responsible for inoculum-assisted stimulation. On the one hand, there is no universal mechanism of bioaugmentation for a broad spectrum of environmental conditions, contaminants, and technology operation concepts. On the other hand, further analyses of bioaugmentation outcomes under laboratory conditions and in the field will strengthen the theoretical basis for a better prediction of bioremediation processes under certain conditions. This review focuses on the following aspects: (i) choosing the source of microorganisms and the isolation procedure; (ii) preparation of the inoculum, e.g., cultivation of single strains or consortia, adaptation; (iii) application of immobilised cells; (iv) application schemes for soil, water bodies, bioreactors, and hydroponics; and (v) microbial succession and biodiversity. Reviews of recent scientific papers dating mostly from 2022–2023, as well as our own long-term studies, are provided here.

Microbial communities in petroleum refinery effluents and their complex functions

“…The combination of genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and systems biology has the potential to enhance bioremediation. ( Muter, 2023 ).…”

The role and mechanisms of microbes in dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its residues bioremediation

“…For DDT pesticide degradation, new microbial species should be investigated that have better and faster degradation capacity in contaminated soil environments [138] . Collecting microorganisms from DDT-contaminated ecosystems is a good source for bioaugmentation [ 139 ]. It is crucial to determine how DDT pesticide detoxifying capacity in liquid media settings contributes more effectively to the bioaugmentation of microbial consortiums [140] .…”

Exploitation of microbial activities at low pH to enhance planetary health

“…Various techniques have been employed to leverage the acid stress response of microbial communities, as well as benefit of the metabolic activity of acidophile. These techniques include bioremediation, bioaugmentation, bioleaching, chemotaxis, synthetic biology, and genetic engineering, depending on the aim of the study (Zhang et al 2018 , Calero and Nikel 2019 , Muter 2023 ).…”