Biotechnological approaches for environmental remediation: Recent advances, mechanisms, and future perspectives
نویسندگان
1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
2 Department of Normal Physiology with a course in Biophysics, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
3 Department of Civil Defense and Military Training, Malik Gabdullin Academy of Civil Protection of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kokshetau, Kazakhstan
4 Almaty Technological University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
5 Kazakh National Women’s Pedagogical University, Institute of Natural Sciences, Department of Biology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
6 West Kazakhstan Agrarian and Technical University named after Zhangir Khan, NJS, Uralsk, Kazakhstan
7 Almaty Technological University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
8 Department of Toxicological Chemistry, Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
doi
10.22124/cjes.2026.9615چکیده
This study evaluated biotechnological remediation approaches for three common contamination scenarios in Kazakhstan: oil hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and organochlorine pesticides. Work was conducted between March and October 2025, combining a systematic literature review with laboratory and field microcosm experiments using indigenous microorganisms and native plants. A bacterial consortium of Pseudomonas putida, P. aeruginosa, and Rhodococcus erythropolis isolated from an oil spill site near Atyrau degraded 73.6% of total petroleum hydrocarbons (from 4,850 to 1,280 mg kg-1) in 12 weeks when combined with nutrient addition – significantly higher than natural attenuation (13%) or nutrients alone (24%, p < 0.001). Phytoextraction using Artemisia sublessingiana and Salix alba on highly contaminated soil from Ust‑Kamenogorsk (Pb 418, Zn 887, Cd 8.5 mg kg-1) removed 12–18% of soil metals in one growing season, with shoot bioconcentration factors of 0.23–0.38. Mycoremediation with Pleurotus ostreatus degraded 72% of lindane and 67% of ΣDDT in contaminated soil from the Almaty region within eight weeks. All three methods were far cheaper (8–30 USD m-³) than conventional excavation (150–500 USD m-³), but none achieved full regulatory compliance in the experimental timeframe. We conclude that biotechnological remediation in Kazakhstan is not a standalone complete cleanup but a highly effective first‑stage treatment that reduces pollutant loads by 60–75%, after which remaining hot spots can be excavated conventionally. This hybrid strategy offers the most practical, affordable path forward for managing the country’s widespread contamination.
