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Bioremediation of Arsenic-Contaminated Water: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

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Abstract

Arsenic contamination of groundwater and surface water is widespread throughout the world. Considering its carcinogenicity and toxicity to human and animal health, remediation of arsenic-contaminated water has become a high priority. There are several physicochemical-based conventional technologies available for removing arsenic from water. However, these technologies possess a number of limitations such as high cost and generation of toxic by-products, etc. Therefore, research on new sustainable and cost-effective arsenic removal technologies for water has recently become an area of intense research activity. Bioremediation technology offers great potential for possible future application in decontamination of pollutants from the natural environment. It is not only environmentally friendly but cost-effective as well. This review focuses on the state-of-art knowledge of currently available arsenic remediation methods, their prospects, and recent advances with particular emphasis on bioremediation strategies.

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Acknowledgments

M.M. Bahar gratefully acknowledges the Government of Australia for providing International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) and the University of South Australia for Postgraduate Award (USAPA).

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  1. Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Md Mezbaul Bahar, Mallavarapu Megharaj & Ravi Naidu

  2. Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environment (CRC CARE), Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Md Mezbaul Bahar, Mallavarapu Megharaj & Ravi Naidu

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  1. Md Mezbaul Bahar
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Correspondence to Mallavarapu Megharaj.

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Guest Editors: R Naidu, Euan Smith, MH Wong, Megharaj Mallavarapu, Nanthi Bolan, Albert Juhasz, and Enzo Lombi

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Remediation of Site Contamination

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Bahar, M.M., Megharaj, M. & Naidu, R. Bioremediation of Arsenic-Contaminated Water: Recent Advances and Future Prospects. Water Air Soil Pollut 224, 1722 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1722-y

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