Bioextraction: The interface of biotechnology and green chemistry

Industrialization and globalization are causing numerous fluctuations in our ecosystem including increased level of heavy metals. Bioextraction is an alternative to the existing chemical processes for better efficiency with least amount of by-products at optimum utilization of energy. Here is an overview of bioextraction methodology and its associated biological processes, and discussion of the approaches that have been used successfully for withdrawal of heavy metals using metal selective high biomass transgenic plants and microbes from contaminated sites and sub-graded ores. The future of bioextraction is challenging as it offers advantages of operational simplicity, low capital and operating cost, and shorter construction times that no other alternative process can provide. Above all, due to environmental friendliness use of this technology is set to increase.