Research Trends in the Geomicrobiology of Vanadium

Vanadium (V) is an essential metallic element widely used in steelmaking, catalysts, and battery industries.Recently, it has drawn significant attention as a critical component of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), which are promising for large-scale energy storage applications.Along with increasing demand for vanadium resources, growing concerns about environmental contamination have prompted active research on the biogeochemical behavior and microbial treatment of vanadium.This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent global studies on the geochemistry, toxicity, and microbial reduction of V(V) under various environmental conditions.It covers key factors influencing microbial vanadium reduction, including coexisting pollutants such as heavy metals and anions, and examines the interactions between vanadium and plant-microbe systems in contaminated soils.The review also highlights recent advances in optimizing microbial vanadium treatment processes.The role and importance of the structure of microbial communities and the functional genes involved in V(V) detoxification were also described.Finally, this review discusses future directions for applications in Korea, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and the identification of vanadiumcontaminated sites.