Bioremediation – Meaning, Examples & Types of Bioremediation

Bioremediation refers to a biochemical process that makes use of microbes in an eco-friendly way. It is used as an alternative to the conventional waste management system, which involves using some chemicals that are harmful to the ecosystem.

There are different types of bioremediation depending on the substance which is to be degraded. But depending on different factors, bioremediation is of different types. Even though this is a very crucial technique still 100% contamination cannot be cleared by it. In this article, we will discuss Bioremediation – types and examples.

What is Bioremediation?

Bioremediation is a branch of biotechnology that uses microbes in an eco-friendly way to decontaminate affected areas. It is used as an alternative to the conventional waste management system which involves the use of chemicals, incineration, and burial in landfills. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi play the main role in the execution of this process.

Among these, bacteria are the most crucial microbes because they break down waste into nutrients and organic matter. They can easily digest contaminants like pesticides containing chlorine or clean oil spills. But they fail to destroy heavy metals like lead and cadmium.

Types of Bioremediation

The different types of bioremediation are explained below:

Biostimulation

In this technique, the bacteria is stimulated to initiate the process. For this, the contaminated soil is first mixed with the required nutrients including other important components either in the form of liquid or gas. These components will stimulate the growth of microbes resulting in efficient and quick removal of the contaminants.

Bioaugmentation

In some cases, microorganisms are required to extract the contaminants from the contaminated site. An example of sewage water can be taken. In such cases, the bioaugmentation technique is used. The only disadvantage here is that it becomes impossible to control the growth of microorganisms at that site in the process of removing a particular contaminant.

Intrinsic Bioremediation

This process is most effective for the waste treatment of soil and water. The process of intrinsic bioremediation is mostly used in waste treatment of underground places like underground water tanks, underground petroleum tanks, etc.

At these sites, it becomes difficult to detect a leakage and due to this contaminants and toxins can find their way to enter through these leaks and contaminate the water, petrol, etc. So through this, it can be understood that only microorganisms can remove the contaminants at these sites and thus clean the tanks.

Bioremediation Examples

Some common examples displaying the bioremediation applications are as follows:

• Oil Spill Cleanup: Many oil spill zones are cleaned up by the combination of bioaugmentation and biostimulation. In this process, a small amount of oil degrading bacteria are introduced and then nutrients to the region are added to stimulate the growth of those oil degrading microbes.
• Removing Heavy Metals from Soil: This process involves phytoremediation. In this process, plants like sunflower, willow. etc are planted on metal laden soil. These plants absorb and accumulate the metals within them and thereby clean up the soil.
• Degradation of Radioactive Waste by Bacteria: In this process, areas contaminated with radioactive elements is treated with certain bacteria that can facilitate the immobilization or transformation of radioactive element.

Other Methods of Waste Management

As there are different types of contaminants worldwide, different types of waste management techniques are used for them. So let us understand some of them:

1. Incineration: In this process, waste and other unwanted substances are burnt. During this burning process technically called combustion, the organic waste turns into ash, flue gas, and heat. The inorganic components of the waste remain in the form of ash. It is also called thermal treatment.
2. Phytoremediation: In this term, phyto refers to plants, and remedium means restoring balance or remediation. In this process, plants are directly used to clean up or contain contaminants in the soil. This method will help in controlling the environmental issues easily without requiring the excavation of the contaminant and disposing of it somewhere else.

Advantages of Bioremediation

Some advantages of bioremediation are as follows:

• It causes complete remediation of harmful contaminants present in the environment by using microbes.
• It is a cost-effective method. The requirements for this technique are minimal.
• In some cases this process is carried out on the site of contamination, thus reducing transportation cost.
• It consumes low energy.

Disadvantages of Bioremediation

Some disadvantages of bioremediation are as follows.

• It is only limited to biodegradable waste and contaminants. It cannot be used for clearing other types of contaminants.
• It requires very rigorous monitoring.
• As it is a biological process the major drawback is specificity in terms of factors like environmental conditions, types of microorganisms to be taken, type of nutrient requirements, and type of contaminants.
• It is comparatively a time-consuming process.

Conclusion – Bioremediation

Thus, it is to be concluded that bioremediation is a biochemical technique involving the use of microorganisms along with some other chemical substances. It has different types depending upon the type of contaminant. Other than bioremediation, there are many techniques for the waste management of contaminants that cannot be cleared using microbes. So having the correct knowledge about these processes is very important.

FAQs on Bioremediation

What is Bioremediation in Simple Words ?

Bioremediation is a technique that is used for the management of waste using biological entities. It is a complete biological process involving no harmful chemicals.

What are the Two Types of Bioremediation?

Bioremediation majorly is of two types. They are in-situ and ex-situ. There are many subtypes within them.

Which Bacteria is Used in Bioremediation?

Bacteria commonly used in bioremediation include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, known for its ability to degrade hydrocarbons, and Rhodococcus sp., which can break down pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil and water.

What are the Steps of Bioremediation?

The steps of bioremediationtypically involve identifying the contaminant, selecting microorganisms capable of degrading the pollutant, and creating conditions favorable for microbial activity, such as providing nutrients and maintaining environmental conditions.

What are Some Examples of Bioremediation?

Oil Spill Cleanup, Removing Heavy Metals from Soil, Degradation of Radioactive Waste by Bacteria are some examples of bioremediation.

What are 3 Organisms that can be Used in Bioremediation?

Bacteria, fungi, and algae can be used in bioremediation.