Microbial and Plant-Based Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons: Mechanisms, Strategies and Environmental Applications

Authors

  • Pawan Kumar Kanaujia

    Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur 273007, India
  • Prashant Gupta

    Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur 273007, India
  • Amit Kumar Dubey

    Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur 273007, India
  • Abaidya Nath Singh

    Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur 273007, India
  • Neha Tripathi

    Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur 273007, India
  • Shreya Singh

    Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Mahayogi Gorakhnath University Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur 273007, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i4.13137
Received: 8 February 2026 | Revised: 5 March 2026 | Accepted: 10 March 2026 | Published Online: 8 April 2026

Abstract

Petroleum hydrocarbon (PH) pollution poses a persistent threat to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, with wide‑ranging implications for soil fertility, water quality, and human health. Conventional physicochemical remediation methods, although effective in some contexts, often entail high operational costs, generate secondary waste, and fail to achieve complete mineralization of complex hydrocarbon mixtures. In contrast, microbial bioremediation has emerged as a sustainable, cost‑effective, and ecologically compatible strategy that harnesses the metabolic versatility of indigenous and exogenous bacteria to degrade a broad spectrum of aliphatic, aromatic, and heterocyclic hydrocarbons. Recent advances in biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation, and engineered bioreactors have demonstrated field‑scale removal efficiencies of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) exceeding 70–90% within weeks to months, depending on site‑specific conditions and pollutant load. Nevertheless, incomplete degradation, environmental variability, and the potential accumulation of intermediate metabolites constrain the robustness and predictability of bioremediation at scale. Emerging technologies such as nanobioremediation, bioelectrochemical systems, and “omics” driven microbial community engineering offer promising avenues to enhance degradation kinetics, extend substrate range, and mitigate antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) dissemination associated with exposure to contaminated matrices. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the classification, sources, and ecological impacts of petroleum hydrocarbons, critically evaluates the mechanisms and techniques underpinning microbial bioremediation, and identifies key research gaps and regulatory challenges. The article further outlines future perspectives for integrating multi‑process, data‑driven remediation strategies into national and international frameworks for environmental restoration.

Keywords:

Bioremediation; Petroleum Hydrocarbons; Bioaugmentation; Phytoremediation; Bioaccumulative; Antibiotic Resistance Gene and Engineered Bioreactors

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How to Cite

Kanaujia, P. K., Gupta, P., Kumar Dubey, A., Nath Singh, A., Tripathi, N., & Singh, S. (2026). Microbial and Plant-Based Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons: Mechanisms, Strategies and Environmental Applications. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(4), 55–87. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i4.13137

Issue

Vol. 8 , Iss. 4 (April 2026): In Progress

Article Type

Review (This article belongs to the Topical Collection "Monitoring and Control of Urban Environmental Pollution")

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Copyright © 2026 Pawan Kumar Kanaujia, Prashant Gupta, Amit GuKumar Dubeypta, Abaidya Nath Singh, Neha Tripathi, Shreya Singh

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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