title: Bioremediation of mercury: not properly exploited in contaminated soils!
abstract: Contamination of land and water caused by heavy metal mercury (Hg) poses a serious threat to biota worldwide. The seriousness of toxicity of this neurotoxin is characterized by its ability to augment in food chains and bind to thiol groups in living tissue. Therefore, different remediation approaches have been implemented to rehabilitate Hg-contaminated sites. Bioremediation is considered as cheaper and greener technology than the conventional physico-chemical means. Large-scale use of Hg-volatilizing bacteria are used to clean up Hg-contaminated waters, but there is no such approach to remediate Hg-contaminated soils. This review focuses on recent uses of Hg-resistant bacteria in bioremediation of mercury-contaminated sites, limitation and advantages of this approach, and identifies the gaps in existing research.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and the i3 Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia. KhandakerRayhan.Mahbub@uon.edu.au.|Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, ATC Building, Level 1, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. KhandakerRayhan.Mahbub@uon.edu.au.|Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE), ATC Building, Ring Road, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. KhandakerRayhan.Mahbub@uon.edu.au.|Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh. KhandakerRayhan.Mahbub@uon.edu.au.
authors.forename: Khandaker Rayhan
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mahbub
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, ATC Building, Level 1, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.|Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE), ATC Building, Ring Road, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
authors.forename: Md Mezbaul
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bahar
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and the i3 Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Labbate
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, ATC Building, Level 1, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.|Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE), ATC Building, Ring Road, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
authors.forename: Kannan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.affiliation: University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, ATC Building, Level 1, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.|Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE), ATC Building, Ring Road, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naidu
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, The University of Newcastle, ATC Building, Level 1, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.|Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC-CARE), ATC Building, Ring Road, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
authors.forename: Mallavarapu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Megharaj
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D020387:Food Chain; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Monitoring; Soil; Water; mer operon