Harnessing Rhizospheric Microbes for Mitigating Petroleum Hydrocarbon Toxicity

Abstract

Hydrocarbon pollution resulting from anthropogenic activities related to the petrochemical industry and other natural sources presents a major problem that has crippled environmental sustainability and contributed to food insecurity crisis. Bioremediation which has proven to be an effective and eco-friendly approach with a broad spectrum potential of targeting and removing a wide range of hydrocarbons including known recalcitrant hydrocarbons has been well studied. However, for bioremediation to be successful and complete, eco-restoration must be achieved. A promising approach to restoration of polluted environment is through the utilization of plant rhizospheric microbes in rhizoremediation. Harnessing rhizospheric microbes as potent tools for rhizoremediation has gained considerable attention in the field of environmental science because of the additional benefits it presents in the decontamination of pollutants such as enhanced nutrient delivery, increased microbial diversity, enhanced biofilm formation, enhanced degradation efficiency, plant-microbe interactions and high adaptation to soil conditions for enhanced remediation activity. These group of microbes possess inherent metabolic capabilities that allow them to efficiently degrade or transform a wide range of pollutants, including hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, and organic contaminants. This review therefore highlights in details environmental pollution and its challenges, remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons with different groups of rhizospheric microbes and the beneficial attributes of rhizomicrobes in bioremediation technology and environmental sustainability.