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A robust environmental monitoring system is highly essential for the instant detection of environmental microfiber pollutants for the sustainable management of the environment and human health. The extent of microfiber pollution is growing exponentially across the globe in both terrestrial and marine environments. An immediate and accurate environmental monitoring system is crucial to investigate the composition and distribution of these micropollutants. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy are vibrational spectroscopic techniques that have the novel ability to detect microfibers within a minute concentration from diverse environmental samples. The major micropollutants which have been analyzed are polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon 6, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate. After a detailed and critical study of the various aspects of spectroscopic analysis, the review is concluded with a comprehensive discussion of the significance of these robust methods and their application in future aspects for further preventing microfiber pollution in the marine environment. This study highlights the utilities and significance of vibrational spectroscopic detection techniques for the immediate and accurate identification of synthetic microfibers. This review also evaluated the implementation of spectroscopic methods as a precise tool for the characterization and monitoring of microfiber pollutants in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse synthetic polymers find their regular application in routine life and are disposed of directly into the environment through various sources. The released microplastic and microfibres from the sources creates contamination in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. When these micropollutants enter the food chain, they have adverse effects on the environment and human health. This study focuses on the application of native bacterial strains isolated for the effective degradation of polyester microfibers. The isolated bacterial strains, namely MFB 6, MFB 8, and MFB 11, tolerant to polyethylene glycol (PEG), were identified as Bacillus sp., Paenibacillus sp., and Aeromonas veronii, respectively, with NCBI gene bank accession numbers ON318306, ON318390, and PP237260. Polyester biodegradation efficiency of 10.5%, 12.6% and 8.4% was achieved by MFB 6, MFB 8 and MFB 11, respectively, after 42 days of investigation in minimal salt medium under shake flask condition. In future the application of these microorganisms will help in sustainable management of synthetic microfiber pollutants and find their suitable application in micro plastic degradation in contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in population has resulted in a rapid increase in waste that is being dumped within the environment. The addition of various harmful and contaminating compounds results in the degradation of the environment and has a direct impact on human health. Various research studies that are taking place in recent times help in the enhancement of the naturally available microbes to degrade toxic compounds that are liberated into the environment. Although various types of bioremediation techniques are available, microbe-associated remediation is proven to be the best option due to its effectiveness, no generation of toxic by-products, and natural availability of microbes with the ability to take up nutrients from the toxic contaminants that exist on the surface of the earth. Both ex situ and in situ bioremediation can be accomplished with the help of these microbes. In most cases, this is done through biofilm-assisted seclusion of pollutants, more precisely by means of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) of biofilm matrix. In recent times, various types of techniques have been implemented like proteomics, genomics, fluxomics and transcriptomics for bringing about maximum remediation by the microbial species. In order to explore the different kinds of microbial communities involved in natural bioremediation, the strategic approach of metagenomic analysis is adopted, which has brought about a technological drift in remediation, even at a genomic level. As chemical mode of remediating wastes are associated with the release of various harmful chemicals those can be toxic to the environment, the use of biological systems can be a potential agent in the conversion of complex waste materials to simpler substances so that it mixes with the environment in easier manner. Microbes are the potential entities that can easily act on the waste materials and bring about remediation in an effective manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential to subsidize the development of areas furnished with ores is essential for producing supplies, services, and infrastructure that get a better social life quality. Bauxite mining is the foremost open-cast mining and bauxite is the only material for manufacturing aluminum metals and is used as a prominent industrial raw material. Demand for bauxite has grown enormously because of increased population and economic growth as it is required for the production of many other metals. A huge amount of bauxite residues are produced during aluminum production from bauxite ore which tremendously influences the environment and public health. Production of waste residues from bauxite ore leads to diminishing soil productivity and influences farming food yields. Soil and water are also contaminated by the addition of heavy metals, iron oxide, and aluminum hydroxide, which can prejudice public health. Microorganisms degrade and detoxify the pollutants into a nontoxic organic form that is helpful to the environment. Bioremediation has been a promising method to remove contaminants by using microorganisms. This enables the adsorption, accumulation, degradation, and utilization of emerging contaminants as nutrient resources by microbial communities for their sustenance. Sustainable management of bauxite mining and recovery of metals from wastes are mainly indispensable in this high time. This review article evaluates the effect of bauxite waste residues on the environment and its consequences on human health; it also emphasizes the biological remediation strategy for the remediation of contaminated mining areas and focuses on the sustainable management of bauxite waste residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid economic development leads to environmental pollution with widespread pollutants including heavy metals, chemical particulates, untreated industrial sewage, and microplastics. Chromium production and its application had upsurged from past few decades and at present it had stretched up to 41 million metric tons globally. Chromium is one of the most mutagenic and carcinogenic pollutant, exposure to this heavy metal pollutants leads to respiratory, reproductive, cardiovascular diseases in humans and other harmful effects on plants and animals. Conventional methods for the treatment of hexavalent chromium from the environment includes ion-exchange, adsorption, solvent extraction, coagulation, electrodialysis and chemical precipitation. These methods are labor intensive, costly, and simultaneously release toxic components to the environment. Alternatively, bioremediation is one of the most effective biological processes which utilizes native microorganisms and plants to remove toxic metal pollutants from the polluted habitats. Bioremediation offers a sustainable technology for the management of heavy metal pollutants released from various mining and mineral processing industries and anthropogenic activities. This review gives a brief idea of hexavalent chromium pollution, its harmful effect on environment and humans, bioremediation through the application of native microorganisms and plants and describes the bioremediation method as a significant role for the sustainable management of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequently used protective items during the pandemics are prepared from plastics products, such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, and polyester. Globally more than 57 million pounds of personal protective equipment along with other biomedical plastic waste are entering into the oceans per annum. Lots of economic benefits can be obtained by recycling the polymeric wastes by converting them into useful products through, reduced manufacture cost, bio converted products, and cleaner environment by developing a circular waste management model. Personal protective equipment's are prepared from different plastic products and the outer most surface of these free-floating plastics presents in the aquatic environment serve as colonization support to diverse microbial populations known as plastisphere. Microbial colonization starts with an initial attachment under different environmental conditions, subsequently by developing a permanent association on the plastic surface. The community structure of microorganisms in the plastisphere can be significantly influenced by the depth of water in the aquatic ecosystem where microplastics present and the nutrients availability. As microorganisms have been deeply investigated for their role in the biodegradation of several pollutants, the present review article focuses on microbial diversity on plastisphere in the aquatic ecosystem, the underlying mechanism of colonization, and their potential role in microplastic degradation. This review article also highlights on imminent research for sustainable management of aquatic microplastic pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]