Exopolysaccharides: promising applications in bioremediation for waste removal

Waste management is one of the global prime concerns in the 21st century. Due to the increasing human population, industrialization, and urbanization, a huge amount of waste is generated, posing severe environmental and public health risks. Conventional methods of contaminants removal are neither cost-effective nor efficient. Therefore, there is an urgent need to adopt biological strategies to effectively degrade and inactivate toxic contaminants. Microbial bioremediation for contaminant removal is a cost-effective and environmentally safe technology in which microbial biomass and its products degrade or convert more toxic substances into less toxic substances. Biopolymers produced by microorganisms can absorb contaminants, thus providing an excellent tool for bioremediation. Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPS) are complex and high molecular weight polymeric substances that are chemically composed of polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, humic substances, and uronic acids. EPS of microbial origin are ideal for bioremediation as they display excellent physiological, rheological, and physicochemical properties. Exploitation of microbial EPS for bioremediation is increasing, and new interventions are continually sought to enhance its biodegradation effectiveness. This review article explicates the potential of microbial EPS for bioremediation of contaminants in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in a highly economical, sustainable, and eco-friendly manner. It also highlights the current challenges and prospects for making EPS-based applications efficient in bioremediation for waste removal.