Abstract
Emerging organic pollutants in medical waste present significant environmental challenges. Bioremediation is an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution, leveraging natural processes to effectively mitigate these risks. So, this review aims to discuss the role of microbial biofilm and quorum sensing in the bioremediation of these pollutants, with a special focus on their mechanism of action, application, and potential. The review begins with an overview of emerging organic pollutants, the importance of bioremediation, the basics of quorum sensing, and its significance in a microbial consortium. Key findings indicate that technological applications such as engineered biofilm bioreactors, electroactive biofilms in microbial fuel cells, co-culture systems, and genetic engineering of QS pathways significantly accelerate pollutant mitigation compared to traditional methods. For instance, specific case studies (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa in pharmaceutical degradation) demonstrate the efficacy of QS-mediated metabolic control. A key conclusion is that leveraging these integrated QS-biofilm systems can surpass conventional waste degradation approaches. However, limitations include the difficulty of scaling up laboratory nanobioremediation systems and the complexity of interspecies signaling in real-world applications. Future research bottlenecks must prioritize investigating the stability of QS signals within complex wastewater matrices impacted by variables like pH and indigenous quorum-quenching microorganisms and developing precise biofilm control strategies through QS manipulation to optimize architecture for targeted degradation. Bridging these gaps through real-scale validation is essential to transition these promising laboratory-scale technologies into practical environmental applications. This review serves as a benchmark for developing immediate, bio-based solutions to mitigate the risks posed by EMOPs.