Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, College of Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu Dist., 603203, Tamil Nadu, India.
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2023 Sep;195(9):5669-5692. doi: 10.1007/s12010-022-04055-8. Epub 2022 Jul 7.
Around 50 million tonnes of electronic waste has been generated globally per year, causing an environmental hazard and negative effects on human health, such as infertility and thyroid disorders in adults, endocrine and neurological damage in both animals and humans, and impaired mental and physical development in children. Out of that, only 15% is recycled each year and the remaining is disposed of in a landfill, illegally traded or burned, and treated in a sub-standard way. The processes of recycling are challenged by the presence of brominated flame retardants. The different recycling technologies such as the chemical and mechanical methods have been well studied, while the most promising approach is the biological method. The process of utilizing microbes to decontaminate and degrade a wide range of pollutants into harmless products is known as bioremediation and it is an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable method. The bioremediation process is significantly aided by biofilm communities attached to electronic waste because they promote substrate bioavailability, metabolite transfer, and cell viability, all of which accelerate bioleaching and biodegradation. Microbes existing in biofilm mode relatable to free-floating planktonic cells are advantageous of bioremediation due to their tolerant ability to environmental stress and pollutants through diverse catabolic pathways. This article discusses the harmful effects of electronic waste and its management using biological strategies especially biofilm-forming communities for resource recovery.
全球每年产生的电子废物约为 5000 万吨，对环境造成危害，并对人类健康产生负面影响，如成年人不孕和甲状腺疾病、动物和人类的内分泌和神经损伤以及儿童的精神和身体发育受损。其中，每年只有 15%被回收，其余的则被填埋、非法交易或焚烧，或以不达标的方式处理。回收过程受到溴化阻燃剂的存在的挑战。化学和机械等不同的回收技术已经得到了很好的研究，而最有前途的方法是生物方法。利用微生物来净化和降解各种污染物为无害产物的过程被称为生物修复，它是一种环保、经济高效和可持续的方法。附着在电子废物上的生物膜群落极大地促进了生物修复过程，因为它们促进了基质的生物利用度、代谢物的转移和细胞的活力，所有这些都加速了生物浸出和生物降解。由于具有通过多种代谢途径耐受环境压力和污染物的能力，以生物膜模式存在的微生物与自由浮动的浮游细胞相关，有利于生物修复。本文讨论了电子废物的危害及其管理，特别是使用生物策略和生物膜形成群落进行资源回收。
