Potential application of lactic acid bacteria in water treatment systems

Currently, the potential application of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in water treatment systems is regarded as a solution to the production of drinking water and wastewater treatment, due to the high demand for supply sources and increased discharge of treated water, due to the increase in industrial activities and population growth. Under this context and in response to this demand, the treatment of contaminated natural sources is being used, significantly increasing their cost. For this reason, the use of this type of bacteria in the water is shown as an alternative as they are low-cost technologies that are incorporated into the recycling of water, biodegradable and does not generate dangerous secondary products. In the natural catchment sources, there are bacterial communities within which it is possible to find free-living LAB populations, which play a role in protecting the freshwater environment, given their versatility and probiotic properties. It has been seen that they have effects on the removal of heavy metals from water, by biological mechanisms such as biosorption and bioaccumulation, reducing their presence in the surrounding environment. This article present a review of the use of BAL in the bioremediation of aquatic systems, especially regarding heavy metals, in order to be used in the water treatment systems of southern central Chile, providing sanitary professionals with an alternative for the production of good quality water.