Use of Nanomaterials for Marine Bioremediation: A Perspective

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One of the most challenging task of the 21^st Century is to develop new eco-friendly, sustainable and economically-sound technologies to clean up the environment from contaminants. In the last years, different physical, chemical and biological technologies have specifically focused on actions to protect and restore marine environment (sediment and/or water) from pollutants. Many of these technologies have played a central role in marine oil spill response contingency plans.

Bioremediation techniques have been proved to be a new an effective method for cleaning up residual pollutants in a variety of environments and a quite flexible management option to be implemented, also at a large scale, in marine ecosystem.

Stimulation of the growth of indigenous microorganisms (biostimulation) or inoculation of foreign oil-degrading bacteria (bioaugmentation) were recognized as effective measures for accelerating the detoxification of a polluted site with a minimal impact on the ecological system. Although bioremediation provides an excellent and flexible recovery strategy for different pollutants, it is poorly effective when dealing with high concentration of the pollutants and xenobiotics or refractory compounds, causing unsustainable treatment efficiencies and recovery time.

In this context the development of nanotechnology and the integration of the use of Nanomaterials (NMs) and Nanoparticles (NPs) can represent a promising innovation able to enhance the bioremediation action and to go beyond the actual limitations for in-situ or ex-situ applications. The combined approach appears to embrace a wider range of potential applications with reduced costs and increased control of undesired byproducts formation. Hazardous and radioactive waste depollution, groundwater and wastewater treatment, heavy metal and hydrocarbons contaminated sediments remediation are only few of the most known potential applications of Nanomaterials (NMs) in bioremediation processes.