Nanobioremediation of Contaminated Agro-ecosystems

Globally, the decline in availability of arable land necessitates the development of innovative and efficient methods of remediating contaminated agro-ecosystems. The use of nanoparticles (NPs) in bioremediation has been identified as a viable approach for rapid remediation. Nanoparticles are nano-sized materials that have unique physical and chemical properties. These NPs are used in nanobioremediation, an application that involves a combination of NPs and biological remediating agents such as microorganisms or plants. Alternatively, NPs can be utilized individually when biologically synthesized. Factors such as elongated durations for complete degradation of contaminants as well as elevated concentrations of the contaminant that could be toxic to bioremediating agents are undesirable in bioremediation. The addition of NPs has potential to enhance remediation processes because they are less sensitive to high contaminant concentrations. Moreover, their high surface area to volume ratio, reactivity and binding affinity aid in accelerating the remediation process. This chapter gives an overview of the combined application of different NPs and bioremediating agents as well as biosynthesized NPs for removal of contaminants in agro-ecosystems. Different types of contaminants that can be degraded and the mechanisms involved are discussed. Furthermore, the chapter elaborates on challenges, solutions and prospects in the field of nanobioremediation.