Bioremediation

It is a process that uses microorganism, plants or microbial or plant enzymes to detoxify contaminates in the soil and other environment.

A number of bioremediation strategies can restore soil environment quality. For a given contaminant, one or more of the following strategies may be needed to ensure successful bioremediation.

Passive bioremediation is a natural bioremediation of contaminated sites by indigenous microorganism. In this kind of bioremediation rate of degradation may be too slow for some situation. Bio stimulation is the addition of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to stimulate indigenous microorganisms in soil. Bioventing is a process in which gaseous stimulants such as oxygen and methane are added in the soil to stimulate microbial activity. Bioaugmentation  is a process in which inoculation of a contaminated site with microorganism to facilitate biodegradation. Composting is the use of microorganism in constructed piles of soil windrows to degrade/decompose contaminants. It’s a biological process that breaks down organic material (such as grass clippings and leaves) into more stable materials. In composted material partial sterilization occurs and weed seeds and pathogenic organisms are killed and most of the toxic organic compounds are destroyed. Nitrogen in the composted material becomes more stable than the raw waste material. It’s the best option to handle the waste material as the composted material may be used as natural fertilizer for nurseries, gardens, orchards, vegetables and field crops.

Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remove, contain or transform contaminants. This can be accomplished directly (by plants hyperaccumulation heavy metals) or indirectly (by plants stimulating microorganisms in the rhizosphere)