A panacea for environmental pollution: A review on role of biosurfactants in bioremediation

Environmental contamination is growing on daily basis, even though numerous corrective measures have been in practice but still it remains to be a major concern for protecting natural environment, ecosystem and well-being of living systems. Bio products and surface active substances derived from microorganisms and plants are having multiple roles in the environmental protection and cleaning. The amphiphilicity of biosurfactants (BS) causes hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions to come into contact with one another, changing the interfacial and surface tension between them. This phenomenon makes the recalcitrant pollutants more bioavailable and helps the microorganisms to degrade them easily. Additionally, the non-toxic, biodegradable and pH and temperature tolerance of biosurfactants make them better candidates for bioremediation. BS including rhamnolipids, surfactins, saponins and sophorolipids are extensively used for several environmental applications. BS are also used in various nanotechnological applications. BS mediated nano materials and agents are finding enhanced environmental applications than nanoparticles/ materials. This review highlights the numerous environmental issues addressed by using various biosurfactants as well as the methods and mechanisms adopted for the effective degradation and removal of hazardous pollutants.