"Bioremediation broadly refers to any process wherein a biological system (typically bacteria, microalgae, fungi, and plants), living or dead, is employed for removing environmental pollutants from air, water, soil, flue gasses, industrial effluents etc., in natural or artificial settings."
The use of microorganisms to remove pollutants from the environment.
Microbiology: Study of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, algae) and their characteristics, habitat, metabolism, and role in environmental processes.
Biodegradation: The breakdown of organic substances by living organisms, especially bacteria and fungi.
Environmental Toxicology: The study of the harmful effects of chemicals and pollutants on organisms, and how to prevent or remediate such effects.
Environmental Chemistry: The study of chemical processes occurring in the natural environment, including changes in air, water, and soil quality caused by natural and human-made factors.
Environmental Engineering: The application of engineering principles to improve the quality of the environment, including designing systems for wastewater treatment and contaminant remediation.
Geology: The study of the earth's physical properties, including its rock formations, soil, and minerals.
Ecology: The study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment, and how these relationships influence the distribution and abundance of species.
Molecular Biology: The study of biological molecules and their interactions, including the structure and function of DNA, RNA, and proteins.
Biotechnology: The application of biological knowledge to develop new technologies and products, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and genetically modified organisms.
Environmental Science: The study of the natural environment, including its physical, chemical, and biological components, and the impact of human activities on these components.
In-situ Bioremediation: This type of bioremediation involves the introduction of microbes to a contaminated site to break down the pollutants in their natural environment. The microbes can be introduced through injection, sparging or other means.
Ex-situ Bioremediation: In this type of bioremediation, contaminated soil or water is excavated and treated elsewhere before it is returned to its original location.
Phycoremediation: This type of bioremediation involves the use of algae to remove contaminants from water. Algae take up contaminants through the water column and convert them into a form that can be easily removed.
Mycoremediation: In this type of bioremediation, fungi are used to break down contaminants in soil or water. Fungi can break down contaminants such as petrochemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals.
Phytoremediation: This type of bioremediation is the use of plants to remove pollution from soil or water. Plants take up contaminants and convert them into a form that is not harmful to the environment.
Microbial Fuel Cells: This type of bioremediation involves using microbes to generate electrical energy from pollutants. The microbes break down the pollution and produce electricity that can be used to power devices.
Bioleaching: This type of bioremediation is the use of bacteria to extract valuable metals from ores. The bacteria break down the ores and release the metals, which can then be collected.
Bioventing: This type of bioremediation involves forcing air into contaminated soil to promote microbial growth and break down pollutants.
Biostimulation: This type of bioremediation involves adding nutrients to contaminated soil to promote microbial growth and increase the rate of degradation of pollutants.
Bioaugmentation: In this type of bioremediation, bacteria or other microorganisms are added to contaminated soil to enhance the degradation of pollutants.
"...bioremediation may offer considerable advantages as it aims to be sustainable, eco-friendly, cheap, and scalable."
"In comparison to conventional physicochemical treatment methods, bioremediation may offer considerable advantages..."
"Research on bioremediation is heavily focused on stimulating the process by inoculation of a polluted site with organisms or supplying nutrients to promote the growth."
"Bioremediation could be used to reduce the impact of byproducts created from anthropogenic activities, such as industrialization and agricultural processes."
"UNICEF, power producers, bulk water suppliers, and local governments are early adopters of low-cost bioremediation..."
"Organic pollutants are generally more susceptible to biodegradation than heavy metals."
"Oxidations enhance the water-solubility of organic compounds and their susceptibility to further degradation by further oxidation and hydrolysis."
"Ultimately biodegradation converts hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water."
"The main challenge to bioremediation is rate: the processes are slow."
"Bioremediation techniques can be classified as (i) in situ techniques, which treat polluted sites directly, vs (ii) ex situ techniques which are applied to excavated materials."
"Some examples of bioremediation-related technologies are phytoremediation, bioventing, bioattenuation, biosparging, composting (biopiles and windrows), and landfarming."
"Other remediation techniques include thermal desorption, vitrification, air stripping, bioleaching, rhizofiltration, and soil washing."
"Biological treatment, bioremediation, is a similar approach used to treat wastes including wastewater, industrial waste, and solid waste."
"The end goal of bioremediation is to remove or reduce harmful compounds to improve soil and water quality."