ABSTRACT
The production of pharmaceutical compounds has contributed to the pollution of the environment. Most of the pharmaceutical compounds such as anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones, pain killers and antibiotics are widely used by the population for betterment of health. Wastewater from these pharmaceutical industries or hospitals is released without proper treatment of the compounds, thereby causing severe damage to the aquatic and other life forms. However, advances in technology propose methods for alleviating the perpetual problem of pollution. Nano-bioremediation is an upcoming field for the remediation of various hazardous pollutants using biosynthetic nanoparticles. The present book chapter focuses on various nanoparticles for the bioremediation of pharmaceutical compounds. Conventional bioremediation techniques are sometimes ineffective for some of the pharmaceutical compounds due to their recalcitrant property. Both organic and inorganic nanoparticles can be used in combination with bioremediation techniques for the complete degradation of toxic compounds into simpler non-toxic compounds. The intrinsic properties of nanoparticles such as large surface area makes them a promising catalyst for the treatment of pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater. Some of the briefly explained nanoparticles in this chapter are metal nanoparticles, engineered polymeric nanoparticles, nano-iron and its derivatives and nanoparticles synthesized by microorganisms. Recently, a newer approach of using engineered nanozymes for bioremediation has been developed to mitigate the problems of pollutants.
