Recent advances of biosurfactant for waste and pollution bioremediation: Substitutions of petroleum-based surfactants

Yan Jer Ng; Hooi Ren Lim; Kuan Shiong Khoo; Kit Wayne Chew; Derek Juinn Chieh Chan; Muhammad Bilal; Heli Siti Halimatul Munawaroh; Pau Loke Show

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113126

Recent advances of biosurfactant for waste and pollution bioremediation: Substitutions of petroleum-based surfactants

Environ Res. 2022 Sep;212(Pt A):113126. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113126. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Authors

Yan Jer Ng¹, Hooi Ren Lim², Kuan Shiong Khoo³, Kit Wayne Chew⁴, Derek Juinn Chieh Chan⁵, Muhammad Bilal⁶, Heli Siti Halimatul Munawaroh⁷, Pau Loke Show⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Electronic address: ebyyn1@nottingham.edu.my.
² Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Electronic address: hoooiren@gmail.com.
³ Faculty of Applied Science, UCSI University. No. 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights, 56000, Cheras Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: kuanshiong.khoo@hotmail.com.
⁴ School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Jalan Sunsuria, Bandar Sunsuria, 43900, Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China. Electronic address: kitwayne.chew@xmu.edu.my.
⁵ School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia. Electronic address: chderekchan@usm.my.
⁶ School of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, 223003, China. Electronic address: bilaluaf@hotmail.com.
⁷ Study Program of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154, West Java, Indonesia. Electronic address: heli@upi.edu.
⁸ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China. Electronic address: PauLoke.Show@nottingham.edu.my.

PMID: 35341755
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113126

Abstract

Biosurfactant is one of the emerging compounds in the industrial sector that behaves similarly with their synthetic counterparts, as they can reduce surface and interfacial tension between two fluids. Their unique properties also enable biosurfactant molecules to be able to clump together to form micelles that can capture targeted molecules within a solution. Biosurfactants are compared with synthetic surfactants on various applications for which the results shows that biosurfactants are fully capable of replacing synthetic surfactants in applications including enhanced oil recovery and wastewater treatment applications. Biosurfactants are able to be used in different applications as well since they are less toxic than synthetic surfactants. These applications include bioremediation on oil spills in the marine environment and bioremediation for contaminated soil and water, as well as a different approach on the pharmaceutical applications. The future of biosurfactants in the pharmaceutical industry and petroleum industry as well as challenges faced for implementing biosurfactants into large-scale applications are also discussed at the end of this review.

Keywords: Bioremediation; Biosurfactants; Contaminated soil; Enhanced oil recovery; Microbial enhanced oil recovery; Oil spill.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodegradation, Environmental
Oil and Gas Industry
Petroleum Pollution*
Petroleum*
Surface-Active Agents

Substances

Petroleum
Surface-Active Agents