Bioremediation through Biosurfactants: A Promising Remedy for Oil Spill Contaminated Soil

Contamination of soil by oil is a major cause of concern and environmental pollution at large globally. Rapid industrialization is posing a threat of oil spills at land and in sea due to continuous increasing dependence on petroleum and its derivatives. Nearly half of the world’s oil production is transported to developed and developing nations by railways or roadways worldwide. Oil spills on land effects the soil and its properties rendering it unsuitable for plants, animals, human life and soil ecosystem. Removal and mitigation of oil and its derivatives is imperative to restore the health and biophysical properties of soil. Understanding the damages and dangers associated with oil spills the present chapter focuses comparison of surfactants with biosurfactants and their superiority over surfactants. The present chapter also focuses on the types and potential applications of biosurfactants in bioremediation of environmental pollution caused by oil spills