Bioremediation can be defined as any process that uses microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to return the natural environment altered by contaminants to its original condition. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort Acid rain is Rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually Acidic It has harmful effects on plants aquatic animals and infastructure The Air Quality Index ( AQI) is a standardized indicator of the Air Quality in a given location Atmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. The haloalkanes (also known as halogenoalkanes or alkyl halides) are a group of Chemical compounds consisting of Alkanes such as Methane Global dimming is the gradual reduction in the amount of global direct Irradiance at the Earth 's surface that was observed for several decades after the start of systematic Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky Indoor Air Quality (IAQ deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related observations a slow steady decline of about 4 percent per decade in the total amount of Ozone in Earth's Particulates, alternatively referred to as particulate matter (PM or fine particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas Smog is a kind of Air pollution; the word "smog" is a Portmanteau of Smoke and Fog. Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities Eutrophication is an increase in chemical Nutrients -- typically compounds containing Nitrogen or Phosphorus -- in an Ecosystem, and may occur For other uses of the term "hypoxia" see Hypoxia. Hypoxia or oxygen depletion is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments Marine pollution is the harmful effect caused by the entry into the ocean of chemicals particles, or Plastic debris. For the fictional character see Oil Slick (Transformers. An oil spill is the release of a Liquid Petroleum Hydrocarbon into Ship pollution is the pollution of air and Water by Shipping. Surface runoff is a term used to describe when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess Water, from Rain, Snowmelt, or other sources flows Thermal pollution is a Temperature change in natural bodies of water caused by human influence Distinguish from Wastwater (a lake in the Lake District in northwest England Waterborne diseases are caused by Pathogenic Microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated Drinking water is consumed Water quality is the physical chemical and biological characteristics of Water in relationship to a set of standards Water stagnation occurs when Water stops flowing Stagnant water can be a major Environmental hazard. Soil contamination is caused by the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment A herbicide is used to kill unwanted Plants Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired Crop relatively unharmed A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. Radioactive contamination is the uncontrolled distribution of radioactive material in a given environment Actinides in the environment refer to the sources environmental behaviour and effects of Actinides in the environment. Environmental Radioactivity is the study of radioactive materials in the Human environment. Fission products are the atomic fragments left after a large nucleus fissions. Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion Plutonium in the environment is an article which is part of the Actinides in the environment series Radiation poisoning, also called " radiation sickness " or a " creeping dose " is a form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to This is a subpage of Environmental radioactivity. Radium Radium in quack medicine See the story of Eben Byers for details of one very nasty case Uranium in the environment, this page is about the Science of Uranium in the environment and in animals (including humans Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excess or obtrusive Light created mainly by Humans Among other effects Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human- or machine-created sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life Radio spectrum pollution is the straying of waves in the radio and Electromagnetic spectrums outside their allocations that cause problems for some activities Visual pollution is the term given to unattractive or unnatural (human-made visual elements of a vista a Landscape, or any other thing that a person might not want to For other similarly-named agreements see Montreal Convention (disambiguation. Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes, opened for signature on The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases in an effort The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, often abbreviated as Air Pollution or CLRTAP, is intended to protect the human environment against Air This is a list of environmental organizations. See also Environmental organization Intergovernmental organizations International organizations The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection The Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW is a worldwide system established by the World Meteorological Organization a United Nations agency to monitor trends in the Greenpeace, originally known as the Greenpeace Foundation, was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1972 The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS are standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that apply for outdoor Air Environmental science is the study of interactions among physical chemical and biological components of the environment. See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and A microorganism (also spelled micro organism or micro-organism and also called a microbe) is an Organism that is Microscopic (usually A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems ( Bioremediation) through the use of Plants The word's etymology comes from Enzymes are Biomolecules that catalyze ( ie increase the rates of Chemical reactions Almost all enzymes are Proteins Bioremediation may be employed to attack specific soil contaminants, such as degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons by bacteria. Soil contamination is caused by the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and In Organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an Organic compound consisting entirely of Hydrogen and Carbon. The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have An example of a more general approach is the cleanup of oil spills by the addition of nitrate and/or sulfate fertilisers to facilitate the decomposition of crude oil by indigenous or exogenous bacteria. For the fictional character see Oil Slick (Transformers. An oil spill is the release of a Liquid Petroleum Hydrocarbon into In Inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of Nitric acid with an Ion composed of one Nitrogen and three Oxygen atoms Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit
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Overview and applications
Naturally occurring bioremediation and phytoremediation have been used for centuries. Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems ( Bioremediation) through the use of Plants The word's etymology comes from For example, desalination of agricultural land by phytoextraction has a long tradition. Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems ( Bioremediation) through the use of Plants The word's etymology comes from Bioremediation technology using microorganisms was reportedly invented by George M. Robinson. US Microbics is a Biotech holding company Nicknamed "Bugs" it owns several subsidiaries that utilize its patented microbe technology He was the assistant county petroleum engineer for Santa Maria, California. During the 1960's, he spent his spare time experimenting with dirty jars and various mixes of microbes.
Bioremediation technologies can be generally classified as in situ or ex situ. In situ (ɪn siːˈtuː is a Latin phrase meaning in the place. In situ bioremediation involves treating the contaminated material at the site while ex situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated elsewhere. Some examples of bioremediation technologies are bioventing, landfarming, bioreactor, composting, bioaugmentation, rhizofiltration, and biostimulation. Land Farming is a Bioremediation treatment process that is performed in the upper Soil zone or in biotreatment cells Biochemical engineering is a branch of Chemical engineering or Biological engineering that mainly deals with the design and construction of unit processes that Composting is the Aerobic decomposition of Biodegradable Organic matter, producing Compost. Bioaugmentation is the introduction of a group of natural microbial strains or a genetically engineered variant to treat contaminated soil or water Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems ( Bioremediation) through the use of Plants The word's etymology comes from Biostimulation involves the modification of the environment to stimulate existing Bacteria capable of Bioremediation.
Not all contaminants, however, are easily treated by bioremediation using microorganisms. For example, heavy metals such as cadmium and lead are not readily absorbed or captured by organisms. Cadmium (ˈkædmiəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Cd and Atomic number 48 Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly The assimilation of metals such as mercury into the food chain may worsen matters. Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum Food chains, also called food networks and/or trophic networks, describe the feeding relationships between species within an Ecosystem. Phytoremediation is useful in these circumstances, because natural plants or transgenic plants are able to bioaccumulate these toxins in their above-ground parts, which are then harvested for removal[1]. Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems ( Bioremediation) through the use of Plants The word's etymology comes from Transgenic plants possess a Gene or genes that have been transferred from a different Species. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at ftudruinsubstance is lost The heavy metals in the harvested biomass may be further concentrated by incineration or even recycled for industrial use.
ability of organisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
The elimination of a wide range of pollutants and wastes from the environment is an absolute require increasing our understanding of the relative importance of different pathways and regulatory networks to carbon flux in particular environments and for particular compounds and they will certainly accelerate the development of bioremediation technologies and biotransformation processes. Carbon dioxide forms approximately 004% of the Earth's atmosphere. Biotransformation is the chemical modification (or modifications made by an organism on a chemical compound [2]
Genetic engineering approaches
The use of genetic engineering to create organisms specifically designed for bioremediation has great potential. Genetic engineering, Recombinant DNA technology, genetic modification/manipulation (GM and gene splicing are terms that apply to the direct [3] The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans (the most radioresistant organism known) has been modified to consume and digest toluene and ionic mercury from highly radioactive nuclear waste. The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Deinococcus radiodurans is an extremophilic Bacterium, one of the most Radioresistant organisms known Radioresistance is the property of Organisms which are capable of living in environments with very high levels of Ionizing radiation. Toluene, also known as methylbenzene or phenylmethane, is a clear water -insoluble liquid with the typical smell of Paint thinners redolent of An ion is an Atom or Molecule which has lost or gained one or more Valence electrons giving it a positive or negative electrical charge Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum [4]
Advantages
There are a number of cost/efficiency advantages to bioremediation, which can be employed in areas that are inaccessible without excavation. Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving of massive quantities of Soil or unformed rock. For example, hydrocarbon spills (specifically, petrol spills) or certain chlorinated solvents may contaminate groundwater, and introducing the appropriate electron acceptor or electron donor amendment, as appropriate, may significantly reduce contaminant concentrations after a lag time allowing for acclimation. In Organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an Organic compound consisting entirely of Hydrogen and Carbon. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations In Chemistry, concentration is the measure of how much of a given substance there is mixed with another substance This is typically much less expensive than excavation followed by disposal elsewhere, incineration or other ex situ treatment strategies, and reduces or eliminates the need for "pump and treat", a common practice at sites where hydrocarbons have clean groundwater. Incineration is a waste treatment technology that involves the Combustion of organic materials and/or substances
Monitoring bioremediation
The process of bioremediation can be monitored indirectly by measuring the Oxidation Reduction Potential or redox in soil and groundwater, together with pH, temperature, oxygen content, electron acceptor/donor concentrations, and concentration of breakdown products (e. Redox (shorthand for reduction-oxidation reaction describes all Chemical reactions in which atoms have their Oxidation number ( Oxidation state Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the g. carbon dioxide). Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single This table shows the (decreasing) biological breakdown rate as function of the redox potential.
| Process | Reaction | Redox potential (Eh in mV) |
|---|---|---|
| aerobic: | O2 + 4e− + 4H+ → 2H2O | 600 ~ 400 |
| anaerobic: |
|
|
| denitrification | 2NO3− + 10e− + 12H+ → N2 + 6H2O | 500 ~ 200 |
| manganese IV reduction | MnO2 + 2e− + 4H+ → Mn2+ + 2H2O | 400 ~ 200 |
| iron III reduction | Fe(OH)3 + e− + 3H+ → Fe2+ + 3H2O | 300 ~ 100 |
| sulfate reduction | SO42− + 8e− +10 H+ → H2S + 4H2O | 0 ~ −150 |
| fermentation | 2CH2O → CO2 + CH4 | −150 ~ −220 |
This, by itself and at a single site, gives little information about the process of remediation. The volt (symbol V) is the SI derived unit of electric Potential difference or Electromotive force. For other uses of the term "hypoxia" see Hypoxia. Hypoxia or oxygen depletion is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments Denitrification is a microbially facilitated process of dissimilatory nitrate reduction that may ultimately produce molecular Nitrogen (N2 through a series of intermediate Manganese (ˈmæŋgəniːz is a Chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Fermentation is the process of deriving energy from the oxidation of organic compounds such as carbohydrates using an endogenous electron acceptor which is Generally remediation means providing a Remedy, so environmental remediation deals with the removal of Pollution or Contaminants from environmental
- it is necessary to sample enough points on and around the contaminated site to be able to determine contours of equal redox potential. In Statistics, a sample is a Subset of a population. Typically the population is very large making a Census or a complete Enumeration A contour line (also Level set, isopleth, isoline, isogram or isarithm) of a function of two Contouring is usually done using specialised software, e. g. using Kriging interpolation. Kriging is a group of geostatistical techniques to interpolate the value of a Random field (e
- if all the measurements of redox potential show is that electron acceptors have been used up, it's in effect an indicator for total microbial activity. Chemical analysis is also required to determine when the levels of contaminants and their breakdown products have been reduced to below regulatory limits.
See also
- Biodegradation
- Dutch standards
- Folkewall
- Intrinsic bioremediation
- Living wall
- List of environment topics
- Living machines
- Microbial biodegradation
- Mycoremediation
- Phytoremediation
- US Microbics
References
- ^ Meagher, RB (2000). Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by the enzymes produced by living organisms Dutch Standards are environmental pollutant reference values used in Environmental remediation, investigation and cleanup Inspired by Dr Gösta Nilsson's "Sanitas wall" at the Sanitas farm in Botswana, this technique makes an efficient use of space by fulfilling on its own two essential functions Intrinsic bioremediation is the conversion of environmental pollutants into harmless forms through the innate capabilities of the naturally occurring microbial population A green wall is a wall either free-standing or part of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and in some cases soil or an inorganic growing medium The Natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is all living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth or some part Living Machines are a form of biological Wastewater treatment designed to mimic the cleansing functions of Wetlands. Interest in the microbial biodegradation of Pollutants has intensified in recent years as mankind strives to find sustainable ways to cleanup contaminated environments Mycoremediation is a form of Bioremediation, the process of using Mushrooms to return an environment (usually soil contaminated by Pollutants Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems ( Bioremediation) through the use of Plants The word's etymology comes from US Microbics is a Biotech holding company Nicknamed "Bugs" it owns several subsidiaries that utilize its patented microbe technology "Phytoremediation of toxic elemental and organic pollutants". CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 3 (2): 153-162. PMID 10712958.
- ^ Diaz E (editor). (2008). Microbial Biodegradation: Genomics and Molecular Biology, 1st ed. , Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-17-2.
- ^ Lovley, DR (2003). "Cleaning up with genomics: applying molecular biology to bioremediation". NATURE REVIEWS. MICROBIOLOGY. 1 (1): 35 – 44. doi:. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. PMID 15040178.
- ^ Brim H, McFarlan SC, Fredrickson JK, Minton KW, Zhai M, Wackett LP, Daly MJ (2000). "Engineering Deinococcus radiodurans for metal remediation in radioactive mixed waste environments". NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY 18 (1): 85 – 90. PMID 10625398.
External links
- Bioremediation of soils
- Contaminated Land: Applications in Real Environments
- Bioremediation (Toxic Cleanup) News from Genome News Network (GNN)
- Bioremediation Discussion Group (BioGroup)
- Technology Focus on Bioremediation of Chlorinated Solvents Website hosted by the USEPA Technology Innovation Program
- Phytoremediation Website hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden
Dictionary
bioremediation
-noun
- The use of biological organisms, usually microorganisms, to remove contaminants, especially from polluted water