Study on the perspectives of application of eco-friendly laser biotechnology for environmental protection in Uzbekistan

Abstract

Abstract Since few decades, the world is encountering unusual and daunting environmental challenges like global warming, climate change, pollution of the atmosphere and water, an emerging international crisis in water availability, long-term damage to ecosystems and substantial loss of biodiversity, waste production and disposal, damaged aquatic ecosystems, impacts of chemicals use and toxic substance disposal, as well as land degradation and deforestation. Accordingly, Uzbekistan has also been encountering some environmental issues, such as global Aral Sea crisis, soil erosion and desertification, wastewater, air pollution and a growing amount of municipal solid waste. Hence, this paper illustrates the major environmental challenges and risks in Uzbekistan, as well as, the possible application of environmentally friendly laser biotechnology for more efficient and rationale protection of ecosystems and wide-scale reclamation of deteriorated areas. Comprehensive use of laser irradiation can be effectively applied in environmental protection engineering and technologies for sustainable development in selected regions. Laser irradiation or photostimulation is a neoteric area and process of environmental biotechnology. In this process, coherent laser light is employed to optimize the natural processes involved in the bioremediation of xenobiotics or bioaccumulation of metals. Additionally, laser biotechnology could be broadly used for more efficient reclamation of contaminated soil, wastewater treatment, as well as for increasing the growth rate of irradiated plants and their resistance to various macro- and micro pollutants in the air, soil, and water.