Role of Biotechnology in solving Environmental Problems
Biotechnology is the application of biological processes, organisms, or systems to solve
problems and improve human life by the development of sustainable and eco-friendly
technologies.
In order to get a better understanding of the environmental problems let’s have a look at the
environment definitions.
Environment:
The environment is defined as sum total of our natural surroundings including living and nonliving things which provide conditions for growth and damage.
The environment may show significant changes that human being has generated with his
industrial, productive and economic activities such as deforestation, pollution, urbanization,
synthetic products and climate change affecting all the inhabitants. Biotechnology plays an
important role in solving environmental problems by providing innovative and effective
solutions for environmental challenges. In this article, we will discuss the various applications
of biotechnology in solving environmental problems.
Environmental problems- Sources and its nature
.
Biotechnological approaches for cleaning up our environment:
Since pollution is one of the world’s biggest environmental problems, e.g. air pollution as a
consequence of fossil fuel combustion, and emission of various harmful gases and toxins by
industrial activities. However, modem biotechnology can be used to neutralized the harmful
and hazardous pollutants. Some examples of biotechnological approaches for management of
environmental pollution are discussed in this article.
In environment contaminants are released in the form of solvents, pesticides, herbicides,
fungicides, insecticides, petrochemicals, explosives, heavy metals. Hence, different
biotechnological approaches for the abatement of these pollutants are:
Air purification by high rate of photosynthesis:
Since there is a constant increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration due to continuous
deforestation and accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere from different sources. The CO2
uptake from atmosphere can be enhanced by high rate of photosynthesis by plant. However,
the conservation of forests and plantations is the need of the hour. Certain biotechnological
approaches have been made to improve the CO2 utilization by enhancing photosynthesis e.g.
an enzyme Ribulose- bisphosphate carboxylase (RUBP-case) catalyses the CO2 fixation.
There are some attempts to genetically engineer this enzyme to increase the photosynthesis
efficiency. Further, micro-propagation and synthetic seed production through plant tissue
culture techniques are also important.
Microalga photosynthesis:
Certain microorganisms are more efficient in photosynthesis than the higher plants e.g.
Chlorella pyrenodiosa, Spirulina maxima. Hence, these are capable of generating O2 in
compare to CO2 consumed. It is advocated that algal growth in the vicinity of industrial
effluents where the concentration of CO2 is very high can help in the reduction of the CO2
accumulations. In addition, these microalgae, appropriately regarded as photo bioreactors,
accumulate as biomass which can be utilized for the extraction of protein for use as food or
feed.
Sewage Treatment by Bacteria and Algae:
The sewage/waste water resulting from various domestic, agricultural and industrial activities
is mostly composed of various organic and inorganic compounds. The organic matter is
subjected to biodegradation or bacterial oxidation. In this way, the organic matter is degraded
to smaller molecules (CO2, NH3, PO4 etc.) and requires constant supply of oxygen. The
process of supplying oxygen is expensive, it can be overcome by growing algae at the sites
where treatment process is to be carried out. Thus, algal-bacterial symbiosis is responsible for
photosynthetic oxygenation and the biodegradation of sewage organic matter.
Eutrophication/water blooming and Phosphorus Pollution:
Phosphorus in waste water is a strong promoter of algal growth and water bloom formation.
Water blooms are associated with the production of certain toxins (e.g. lipopolysaccharides)
that are harmful to fishes and birds. Therefore, removal of phosphorus can protect from
eutrophication. There are broadly two ways of controlling algal growth resulting in
eutrophication.
I)
Chemical approach, to precipitate phosphorus with salts of calcium, magnesium
and aluminium. This however, is not practicable on large scale. In addition,
chemical methods add to the sludge volume.
II)
II) Biological Removal of Phosphorus: In biological methods removal of
phosphorus by bacteria is carried out through aerobic and anaerobic processes.
Where the organic carbon reserve compounds are oxidized to generate energy. A
small portion of this energy is utilized for the conversion of phosphates to
polyphosphates. The net effect is that phosphorus accumulates in the bacterial cell
in the form of polyphosphates.
Management of metal pollution:
Environmental pollution due to heavy metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, mercury) causes several
toxic manifestations in living organisms, including cancer. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification are characteristic features of metal pollution. As we are constantly exposed to
metals, hence, they get accumulated in our body by a process called bioaccumulation. In livingorganisms bioaccumulation result in bio-magnification usually occurs through food chain and
human is the ultimate victim of this process. The sources of these metals are various human
activities such as mining, smelting, river dredging etc. Therefore, the biotechnological
managements of metal pollutions are bio-scavengers of metals: e.g. certain aquatic plants
namely phytoplankton’s or benthics plants, and microorganisms can absorb the metals from
these waste and act as natural bioscavengers. Genetically engineered microorganisms are being
developed for the treatment of polluted water and soils
Biodegradation of xenobiotic Compound
Term “Xenobiotics” means foreign substances which are unnatural or synthetic chemicals such
as pesticides, herbicides, solvents, etc. The degradation of these xenobiotic compounds through
microbial metabolic processes is called bioremediation which helps in reducing the
environmental pollution.
Bioremediation:
Bioremediation is the use of naturally existing microorganisms to expedite the process of
biological degradation of unwanted materials, where microbes serve as scavengers.
Bioremediation process can be carried out in two ways to clean up the environment:
a) In-situ bioremediation – Where waste is treated at its point of source, for example, in
soil water. The advantage of this process is that it minimizes the spread of
contamination by displacement and transport of discarded materials. This process is
generally used to clean-up of oil spillages, beaches etc.
b) Ex-situ bioremediation – In this process biological treatment is carried out after the
contaminated waste has been brought to a treatment site. The soil may be removed and
transported to an area where the bioremediation may be applied.
Biotechnology has facilitated the use of genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) that
can degrade specific pollutants effectively. Bioremediation has been successfully used to clean
up oil spills, industrial waste, and other contaminated sites.
Mycoremediation
When the fungal mycelia are used in the process of Bioremediation, it is called
Mycoremediation. In the ecosystem, the primary function of fungus is to break the organic
substances into much smaller and simpler materials. Hence, the mycelium secretes extracellular
enzymes and acids that help in breaking down substances such as lignin and cellulose. These
are the building blocks of plant fibres. The principal aim of the Mycoremediation is to target
the appropriate fungal species for a specific pollutant.
Phytoremediation
Phytoremediation is a process that uses plants to remove contaminants from the environment.
Biotechnology has facilitated the use of genetically engineered plants that can efficiently
absorb and accumulate pollutants from soil and water. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and
eco-friendly approach to clean up contaminated sites and has been successfully used to
remediate heavy metal-contaminated sites.
Applications of Biotechnology
Bioplastics
Bioplastics are a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics as they are made from
renewable resources and can be biodegraded. Biotechnology has enabled the development of
new bioplastics that are more environmentally friendly and have better mechanical properties.
Bioplastics have the potential to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment and
promote sustainability.
Biofuels
Biofuels are renewable sources of energy that are produced from organic matter such as crops,
waste, and algae. Biotechnology has played a crucial role in the development of biofuels by
optimizing the production processes and increasing the yield of biofuels. Biofuels are
considered to be a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels as they are renewable, emit fewer
greenhouse gases, and can be produced locally.
Biogeochemical cycling
Biogeochemical cycling is the process by which nutrients such as nitrogen, carbon, and
phosphorus are cycled through the environment. Biotechnology has enabled the development
of microbial processes that can enhance biogeochemical cycling, leading to the efficient use of
nutrients and reduced environmental pollution. Microbial processes such as nitrogen fixation,
denitrification, and carbon sequestration can play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of
nutrients in the environment.
Biodegradation
Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms into simpler compounds
that can be absorbed by the environment. Biotechnology has facilitated the development of
microbial processes that can efficiently degrade organic matter, leading to reduced
environmental pollution. Biodegradation has been successfully used to treat organic waste such
as sewage and agricultural waste.
Bio monitoring
Biomonitoring is the use of biological indicators to assess the quality of the environment.
Biotechnology has enabled the development of biosensors that can detect and measure
pollutants in the environment.
Biosensors are based on the use of enzymes, microorganisms, or antibodies that can recognize
and bind to specific pollutants.
A glucometer is an example of a biosensor. It is used to determine the approximate
concentration of glucose in the blood. Biosensors also have a significant role in the food
industry. Optics coated with antibodies used to detect food toxins and pathogens and thus
known as food biosensors.
Biomarker is an application of biotechnology in the environment that responds to the
chemicals to measure the effect of pollution caused and help to detect the relationship or
correlation between the oil and its sources. We can get results and sensitivity to adverse effects
on terrestrial and aquatic pollution
Bio substitutions:
In this process pollution causing substances is substituted with some alternative naturally
available substances or biodegradable substances. The advantages of bio-substitutions are,
these are sustainable/renewable biological sources and are nontoxic, biodegradable and safety
to handle. They can be used in existing unmodified diesel/petrol engines. They will reduce
expenditure on oil imports e.g. the biological production of alternative to fossil fuels such as
bioenergy, biofuels, biopolymers, bioplastics like PHB, Biohydrogen. Biohydrogen is the fuel
of future which can solve the scarcity of fossil fuel that may come in to picture in the near
future. Combustion of H2 can produce more energy in compare to petrol (gasoline). Biological
methods of H2 production are preferable in an environmental point of view. Another example
is Biogas as substituents for LPG; Biogas produced from the plant and animal waste can be
directly used as fuel for cooking purpose and as compressed natural gas (CNG) used instead of
LPG in vehicles. Also biodiesel and bioethanol produced from natural or biological resources
and can be used directly in conventional engines. It can be produced from edible oils, animal
fats (fish waste, slaughter house waste) and from non-edible oils like jatropha, castor beans etc.
The applications of environmental biotechnology have become a beneficial factor for our
environment. The applications include genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, sequencing, and
imaging techniques which provide a large quantity of information and alternative methods to
improve and protect our environment.
Mitigating and adapting to climate change
Agricultural biotechnology provides ways to both mitigate and enhance adaptation to
environmental changes. Products developed with agricultural biotechnology may contribute to
the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, such as cover crops that provide sustainable
biofuels, fruits and vegetables that stay fresh longer and reduce food waste. Researchers are
also developing ways to draw excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere with trees and even
microbes.
For example, plant breeders are using agricultural biotechnology to develop drought-tolerant
crops including wheat, rice, tomato, soybean, and cotton. Drought-tolerant corn, including
certain varieties developed with genetic engineering, is already being grown across droughtprone areas in the United States. Drought-tolerant wheat is approved for use in Argentina and
Brazil.
Animal breeders are using agricultural biotechnology, including genome editing, to develop
heat-tolerant cattle that are better able to regulate body temperature during hot conditions.
These cattle have reduced heat stress, due to shorter hair and metabolic changes.
Cattle with the SLICK gene have sleek, short hair that helps keep them cool in subtropical hea t
Through evidence-based innovation and science, including agricultural biotechnology, we can
expand the toolbox for farmers, fishers, and other producers to produce more with less – less
land, less water, fewer inputs and resources. Innovative and creative solutions are necessary
for food systems to keep pace with evolving needs and challenges. Increasing agricultural
productivity can reduce agriculture’s environmental impacts, and also alleviate poverty,
improve food security and nutrition, and raise standards of living.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the integration of biotechnology and environmental science has opened new
avenues for the development of sustainable environment. Biotechnology has enabled the
development of new bioplastics, biofuels, and bioremediation strategies that can reduce the
environmental impact of human activities.