Abstract
Industrialization, urbanization, mining, and exploration have increased environmental pollution. Human health is seriously endangered by pollutants such as poisonous gases, particulates, heavy metals, and other macroscopic pollutants. High sensitivity and specificity are displayed by microbial biomarkers for identifying these contaminants. These biomarkers have been more well known in recent years thanks to their reliability, sensitivity, and specificity, making them incredibly useful tools in environmental monitoring. Heavy metals in soils and sediments can be determined using microbial biomarkers such as genes encoding for metal transporters or metal-binding proteins. In addition, pollution in water resources can be detected using certain bacteria such as Nitrosospira or Nitrospira. The specific responses of microorganisms to pollutants can help to determine the impact of toxins on the environment. For instance, indicators such as the presence of cytochrome P450 genes might signal the presence of a wide variety of organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are frequently found in gasoline- or diesel-fueled locations. This chapter will discuss environmental pollution and related biomarkers based on soil, water, and air contamination, and a brief overview of strategies to detect harmful substances from the environment.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Biomarkers in Environmental and Human Health Biomonitoring |
Subtitle of host publication | an Integrated Perspective |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Pages | 149-168 |
Number of pages | 20 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780443138607 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780443138614 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Jan 2024 |
Keywords
- biomarker
- biosensors
- Environmental
- pollution
- sensors