Bioremediation of Radioactive Contaminants/ Radioactive Metals

Exposure to radioactive radiation-emitting of the nuclear energy power plant, medical industry, food industry causes serious threats to the living system and the environment. Radioactivity is a cause of ionizing emission of high-energy particles like alpha particles, beta particles, gamma radiation with high frequency and intensity. Radioactive wastes are categorized as low-level waste (LLW), intermediate-level waste (ILW), or high-level waste (HLW), depending upon their radioactivity. A plethora of strategies, including physical methods (incineration, filtration), chemical methods (ion exchange, precipitation, absorption), and biological methods (microbial assisted remediation and phytoremediation), have been adopted to mitigate radioactive wastes from the contaminated sites and water bodies. This chapter is focused on bioremediation methods as a powerful technique offering an eco-friendly and economical solution to global radioactive waste disposal problems and other associated challenges.