ECOTOXICOLOGY AND BIOREMEDIATION OF HYDROCARBON-POLLUTED SOILS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

The threat of increasing pollution on the health of living organisms and their local ecosystem by contaminants of petroleum origin in the environment is a worldwide concern. The development of efficient, economical, and improved techniques aimed at mitigating any known or further catastrophic backwash effects that the accumulation of petroleum contamination may give rise to has prompted wide research. This review takes a significant look into the ecotoxicological nature of petroleum contamination and pollution in the environment and how the inculcation of genetic engineering—in producing better and more resistant species of degraders, nanotechnology—in improving bioprocesses through environment and bioprocess modifications, and artificial intelligence—through bioinformatics, etc.—have so far effectively enhanced biological means of remediating petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contaminated sites. Conclusively, the infusion of advanced engineering techniques (i.e., artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology) in achieving biological remediation has greatly improved remediation processes, producing credible, more efficient results and a reliable established database for forecasted cases of petroleum pollution, compared to contemporary methods of bioremediation