This book emphasizes and presents the latest information on eco-physiology and biochemistry of cyanobacteria with special emphasis on their biodiversity, molecular mechanisms of some important biological processes and survival mechanisms under myriad of environmental conditions as well as bioremediation. Cyanobacteria are the most dominant prokaryotic floras on the Earth’s surface, and are of great importance in terms of ecological, economical and evolutionary perspectives. They are oldest groups of photosynthetic autotrophs, which create oxygenic atmosphere for the development and sustainability of ecosystems with different life forms. The book presents an integrative approach to their possible biotechnological application in the field of bio-energy and various aspects of biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology of photosynthesis. The various chapters describe the different applications of cyanobacteria as bio-energy sources and in phycoremediation. The contents incorporated in this book can be used as a textbook by undergraduate and post-graduate students, teachers, and researchers in the most interesting fields of physicochemical ecology and biochemistry of cyanobacteria.

Phycoremediation is an alternative method of water and wastewater remediation, which includes the use of algae for treatment, and is an environmentally friendly and sustainable technology. More conventional methods of wastewater treatment have been successful in the removal of conventional contaminants from the water; however, these techniques typically require more time and energy than phycoremediation. Phycoremediation of Wastewater: Practical Applications for Sustainability focuses on the latest developments in water remediation as well as the major challenges faced by municipalities implementing large-scale phycoremediation operations. It addresses the latest advancements in the field as well as the future applications and techniques to make water remediation processes more environmentally sustainable. It focuses on the latest developments in phycoremediation and outlines the major challenges in large-scale operation and implementation. It explores the future scope of the remediation techniques to make processes more sustainable going forward.

Achieving environmental sustainability with rapid industrialization is a major challenge of current scenario worldwide. As globally evident, industries are the key economic drivers, but are also the major polluters as untreated/partially treated effluents discharged from the industries is usually thrown into the aquatic resources and also dumped unattended. Industrial effluents are considered as the major sources of environmental pollution as these contains highly toxic and hazardous pollutants, which reaches far off areas due to the medium of dispersion and thus, create ecological nuisance and health hazards in living beings. Hence, there is an urgent to find ecofriendly solution to deal with industrial waste, and develop sustainable methods for treating/detoxifying wastewater before its release into the environment. Being a low cost and eco-friendly clean technology, bioremediation can be a sustainable alternative to conventional remediation technologies for treatment and management of industrial wastes to protect public health and environment. Therefore, this book (Volume I) covers the bioremediation of different industrial wastes viz. tannery wastewater, pulp and paper mill wastewater, distillery wastewater, acid mine tailing wastes, and many more; which are lacking in a comprehensive manner in previous literature at one place. A separate chapter dedicated to major industries and type of waste produced by them is also included. This book will appeal to students, researchers, scientists, industry persons and professionals in field of microbiology, biotechnology, environmental sciences, eco-toxicology, environmental remediation and waste management and other relevant areas, who aspire to work on the biodegradation and bioremediation of industrial wastes for environmental safety.

Rapid industrialization is a serious concern in the context of a healthy environment. With the growth in the number of industries, the waste generated is also growing exponentially. The various chemical processes operating in the manufacturing industry generate a large number of by-products, which are largely harmful and toxic pollutants and are generally discharged into the natural water bodies. Once the pollutants enter the environment, they are taken up by different life forms, and because of bio-magnification, they affect the entire food chain and have severe adverse effects on all life forms, including on human health. Although, various physico-chemical and biological approaches are available for the removal of toxic pollutants, unfortunately these are often ineffective and traditional clean up practices are inefficient. Biological approaches utilizing microorganisms (bacterial/fungi/algae), green plants or their enzymes to degrade or detoxify environmental pollutants such as endocrine disruptors, toxic metals, pesticides, dyes, petroleum hydrocarbons and phenolic compounds, offer eco- friendly approaches. Such eco-friendly approaches are often more effective than traditional practices, and are safe for both industry workers as well as environment. This book provides a comprehensive overview of various toxic environmental pollutants from a variety natural and anthropogenic sources, their toxicological effects on the environment, humans, animals and plants as well as their biodegradation and bioremediation using emerging and eco-friendly approaches (e.g. Anammox technology, advanced oxidation processes, membrane bioreactors, membrane processes, GMOs), microbial degradation (e.g. bacteria, fungi, algae), phytoremediation, biotechnology and nanobiotechnology. Offering fundamental and advanced information on environmental problems, challenges and bioremediation approaches used for the remediation of contaminated sites, it is a valuable resource for students, scientists and researchers engaged in microbiology, biotechnology and environmental sciences.

This book deals with the most emerging aspects of algal research with special reference to microalgae viz; diversity, mutations, genomics and metagenomics study, eco-physiology, culturing, microalgae for food and feed, biofuel production, harvesting of microalgae, separation, and purification of biochemicals, techno-economical assessment, microalgal biotechnology, algal-bacterial systems for wastewater treatment. It describes the complex issues associated with the above-mentioned areas with the intervention of cutting-edge biotechnological tools and techniques like next-generation sequencing methods, metabolomics, and bioreactor design and development. The chapters provide past developments, current information and future prospects of algal technology as an alternate avenue for waste water treatment and its potential for production of biofuel and nutraceuticals.

Presents recent challenges related to new forms of pollution from industries and discusses adequate state-of-the-art technologies capable to remediate such forms of pollution. Over the past few decades the boom in the industrial sector has contributed to the release in the environment of pollutants that have no regulatory status and which may have significant impact on the health of humans and animals. These pollutants also referred to as "emerging pollutants", are mostly aromatic compounds which derive from excretion of pharmaceutical, industrial effluents and municipal discharge. It is recurrent these days to find water treatment plants which no longer produce water that fits the purpose of domestic consumption based on newly established guidelines. This situation has prompted water authorities and researchers to develop tools for proper prediction and control of the dispersion of pollutants in the environment to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to prevent the occurrence of outbreaks due to sudden load of these pollutants in the water system. The chapters in this book cover a wide range of nano and bio-based techniques that have been designed for the real time detection of emerging contaminants in environmental water sources, geochemical models that are continuously improved for the prediction of inorganic contaminants migration from the mine solid wastes into ground and surface waters. Remediation strategies are also discussed and include effective techniques based on nanotechnology, advanced membrane filtration, oxidative and bio-degradation processes using various types of nanocatalysts, biocatalysts or supporting polymer matrices which are under advanced investigations for their implementation at large scale for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants from polluted water. Nano and Bio-Based Technologies for Wastewater Treatment: Prediction and Control Tools for the Dispersion of Pollutants in the Environment is divided is two sections. The first section covers the occurrence of emerging pollutants in environmental water while the second section covers state-of-the-art research on the removal of emerging pollutants from water using sustainable technologies. A total of 13 chapters addressing various topics related to the two sections are essentially based on recent developments in the respective field which could have a significant impact on the enhancement of the performance of wastewater treatment plants around the world, and especially in developing countries where access to clean and safe water remains a daily challenge.

This contributed volume sheds new light on waste management and the production of biofuels. The authors share insights into microbial applications to meet the challenges of environmental pollution and the ever- growing need for renewable energy. They also explain how healthy and balanced ecosystems can be created and maintained using strategies ranging from oil biodegration and detoxification of azo dyes to biofouling. In addition, the book illustrates how the metabolic abilities of microorganisms can be used in microbial fuel-cell technologies or for the production of biohydrogen. It inspires young researchers and experienced scientists in the field of microbiology to explore the application of green biotechnology for bioremediation and the production of energy, which will be one of the central topics for future generations.