Advances in Microbial Identification for E-Waste Degradation: Challenges and Recent Technological Developments in E-Waste Biodegradation

The growing concern of e-waste is becoming a significant global challenge due to its toxic components, which pose serious risks to both human health and the environment. Traditional methods of e-waste disposal, such as landfilling and incineration, contribute to the accumulation of hazardous materials and the release of pollutants into soil and water. As a result, effective recycling strategies are essential for managing e-waste. Among these, microbial biodegradation has emerged as an eco-friendly and promising approach, utilizing bacteria capable of breaking down the various components of electronic waste.This review presents an overview of recent advancements in identifying microorganisms responsible for the degradation of e-waste and discusses the challenges associated with implementing microbial biodegradation technologies for sustainable e-waste management. The metagenomics approach has proven to be particularly useful in identifying unculturable microbial species involved in e-waste decomposition. Techniques such as shotgun sequencing, 16S rRNA sequencing, and whole genome sequencing are invaluable tools for exploring and analyzing microbial diversity related to e-waste degradation.By highlighting these advancements, the paper addresses the potential of microbial biodegradation in e-waste management, while also outlining the challenges and proposing potential solutions for the effective application of these technologies on a larger scale.