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Review
. 2011 Jan 18;12(1):633-54.
doi: 10.3390/ijms12010633.

Environmental applications of biosurfactants: recent advances

Magdalena Pacwa-Płociniczak  1 , Grażyna A Płaza, Zofia Piotrowska-Seget, Swaranjit Singh Cameotra
Affiliations
Review

Environmental applications of biosurfactants: recent advances

Magdalena Pacwa-Płociniczak et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Increasing public awareness of environmental pollution influences the search and development of technologies that help in clean up of organic and inorganic contaminants such as hydrocarbons and metals. An alternative and eco-friendly method of remediation technology of environments contaminated with these pollutants is the use of biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms. The diversity of biosurfactants makes them an attractive group of compounds for potential use in a wide variety of industrial and biotechnological applications. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of advances in the applications of biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms in hydrocarbon and metal remediation technologies.

Keywords: biosurfactants; hydrocarbons; metals; remediation technologies.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Accumulation of biosurfactants at the interface between liquid and air.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The relationship between biosurfactant concentration, surface tension and formation of micelles [14].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mechanisms of hydrocarbon removal by biosurfactants depending on their molecular mass and concentration [11,42].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mechanism of enhanced oil recovery by biosurfactants.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mechanism of biosurfactant activity in metal-contaminated soil [74].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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