A Comprehensive Review of Techniques for Fluoride Bioremediation
The study of fluoride in groundwater and soil has become a major concern of environmental and public health since high concentrations of fluoride lead to severe effects such as skeletal and dental fluorosis. This has called for proper formulation of timely, effective, sustainable and cheaper methods of remediating most affected sites. Bioremediation has been considered as one of the potential methods in the treatment of fluoride containing water through the natural potential of microorganisms, plants and enzymes to immobilize fluoride ions. This review offers an opportunity to discuss bioremediation strategies: microbial, like bioadsorption, bioaccumulation, enzymatic defluorination; plant based, like phytoextraction, phytostabilisation, and phytoreneutralization, and rhizofiltration. The use of enzymes particularly, fluorinases and defluorinases for the remediation of the contamination is also considered. The most significant achievements, emerging problems, and possible further developments of metabolic engineering are discussed as follows: Genetically engineered organisms, the integration of nanotechnology, and the validation of metabolic engineering systems at the field level. This review discovers that these approaches have potential in performing the bioremediation of fluoride and protecting the environment and people’s health.