Bioremediation of Polluted Soils Using Environmental Bacterial Isolates: An Updated Review on Recent Trends and Future Opportunities

ABSTRACT In recent years, many natural and anthropogenic activities have increased the concentration of pollutants in the environment, especially in soil. Pollutants or contaminants released from agricultural activities, industries, and our households, ultimately unconstrained in open ground where they remain present for many years, cause air, soil, and water pollution. Incineration and chemical treatments are commonly used for pollutant removal; however, these methods have several drawbacks. Recent trends in contaminant removal focus on utilizing natural microbial populations to remediate soil through bioremediation. The safer, less costly, and sustainable bioremediation approach restores a typical, healthy environment, making it the preferred choice. We reviewed phytoremediation, nano‐bioremediation, bioventing, biosparging, bioslurping, biosurfactants, and biofilms, which utilize bacteria to remediate soil. In suitable environments, certain bacteria naturally break down pollutants, and genetically modified bacteria improve the bioremediation process. For successful bioremediation of contaminated soil, sophisticated methods such as proteomics, transcriptomics, and genomics have aided in the identification, profiling, and optimization of microbial communities. This review examines the sources of pollution and identifies promising possibilities for bioremediation of contaminated soils using environmental bacterial isolates and nanomaterials. These techniques have gained popularity recently because of their economical and eco‐friendly qualities. These approaches provide environmentally friendly ways to lessen the negative effects of pollutants, support ecosystem health, and cut expenses associated with traditional remediation methods.