Progress in Microbial Bioremediation of Industrial Effluents using Different Bioreactors Design: an Overview

Environmental pollution became a serious global problem considering rapid industrialization, unsustainable agricultural practices and increased human population. Heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and/or greenhouse gases are among the main toxic contaminants which attracted environmental and public health concerns. Remediation of polluted environmental compartments using microbial biomass has demonstrated to be an effective, versatile and reliable process due to its eco-friendly attributes and low costs involved compared to physico-chemical methods. Water is a very important natural resource which is vital for the survival of all living organisms. Unfortunately, large quantities of pollutants are released in water bodies affecting human health and disturbing aquatic ecosystems. This paper reviews succinctly the main principles, advantages, disadvantages and limitations of microbial bioremediation of industrial effluents by using different bioreactors design for such purposes.