Bioremediation of chromium contaminated environments

Bioremediation is the most promising and cost effective technology widely used nowadays to clean up both soils and wastewaters containing organic or inorganic contaminants. Discharge of chromium containing wastes has led to destruction of many agricultural lands and water bodies. Utilisation of chromium(Cr) reducing microbes and their products has enhanced the efficiency of the process of detoxification of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). This review focuses mainly on the current technologies prevalent for remediation like natural attenuation, anaerobic packed bed bioreactors (using live cells, Cr(VI) reductases or their byproducts) and use of engineered microorganisms. Treatment of wastewaters by biosorption or using biofilms and immobilized microbial cells are also discussed.