Current Trends and Future Perspectives in the Remediation of Polluted Water, Soil and Air—A Review

Abstract

The protection of all environmental compartments (water, soil, air) is of great interest for the normal functioning of life on Earth. The environment is systematically polluted with different concentrations of physical, biological and chemical pollutants. For the purpose of environmental protection, numerous in situ and ex situ biological, chemical and physical remediation techniques have been developed. Most techniques have limitations, such as high cost, processing time or environmental feasibility. In general, biological techniques have proven to be the most environmentally friendly compared to chemical and physical techniques. Furthermore, remediation is an extremely complex procedure due to the complexity of the pollutant composition. Therefore, the implementation of individual physical, biological or chemical remediation techniques is often not sufficient for adequate remediation of the polluted environment. Accordingly, for more economical and efficient environmental remediation, it is recommended to use a combination of techniques that should meet the requirements of efficiency and treatment duration. Ultimately, this review provides a concise overview of the recent application of physical, biological and chemical remediation techniques to all compartments of the polluted environment. A critical review of existing knowledge on environmental remediation through a search of the relevant literature has helped to assess the basic challenges and limitations that arise in the issue of environmental remediation, as well as providing recommendations and guidelines for future research.