TO DECONTAMINATE WASTEWATER EMPLOYING BIOREMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Bioremediation is an ecologically sound and state-of-the-art technique that employs natural biological processes employing microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to return the natural environment altered by contaminants to its original condition. To completely eliminate toxic contaminants occurring in sludges, and ground water contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, wood preservatives, non-halogenated SVOCs, and BTEX and other organic chemicals, especially effective for remediating low level residual contamination in conjunction with source removal. Compared with other technologies, such as thermal desorption and incineration (which require excavation and heating), thermally enhanced recovery (which requires heating), chemical treatment (which may require relatively expensive chemical reagents), and in situ soil flushing (which may require further management of the flushing water), bioremediation may enjoy a cost advantage. Not all contaminants, however, are easily treated by bioremediation using microorganisms. For example, heavy metals such as Cd 8 Pb aren‟t easily absorbed or captured by organisms. The assimilation of metals such as Hg into the food chain may worsen matters. While bioremediation (nor any other remediation technology) can‟t degrade inorganic contaminants, can be used to change the valence state of inorganics and cause adsorption, immobilization onto soil particulates, precipitation, uptake, accumulation, and concentration of inorganics in micro or macroorganisms. These techniques, while still largely experimental, show considerable promise of stabilizing or removing inorganics from soil. This manuscript delineates the general processes of bioremediation within the soil environment, factors of bioremediation strategies, genetic engineering approaches, monitoring bioremediation, and further, the pros 8 cons of the technique, limitations and potential of both ex situ and in situ bioremediation as viable alternatives to conventional remediation are explained and addressed.