Bioremediation Using Microorganisms for Environmental Cleanup

Using living things to clean up the environment is known as bioremediation. Compared to conventional approaches that include excavation and the disposal of polluted materials, it offers a sustainable and affordable option to environmental cleaning. Bioremediation can be used to clean up soil contaminates (petroleum products or heavy metals), air contaminates (nitrogen oxides and other volatile organic compounds), and water contaminates (pesticides, fertilizers and industrial chemicals).

Classification of Bioremediation

Phytoremediation

A bioremediation approach makes use of plants to remove pollutants from damaged areas. By using their root systems and related bacteria, plants have the innate ability to absorb, digest, and detoxify pollutants. Phytoremediation falls into several categories: 1) Phytoextraction: The process of using plants to absorb and store pollutants. especially suitable for heavy metals and metalloids that build up in plants' above-ground tissues. 2) Phytostabilization: The process of using plants to immobilize and stabilize pollutants in soil, hence lowering their bioavailability and mobility. 3) Phytodegradation: Using plants and the microorganisms that live on them to degrade pollutants in soil. The pollutants are transformed by the microorganisms into less harmful forms that the plant can absorb and metabolize.

Biostimulation

The natural breakdown of contaminants in the environment is accelerated through biostimulation. By adding nutrients to contaminated areas, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, as well as carbon sources like sugars, amino acids, or fatty acids, the activity of naturally occurring microbes is stimulated. In order to increase the metabolic activity of microorganisms and enable them to more effectively break down pollutants, biostimulation aims to establish an environment that is favorable for their growth and activity.

Bioaugmentation

Bioaugmentation involves the addition of specific microbial strains to the contaminated environment to enhance the natural degradation process. The added microorganisms may be naturally occurring or genetically modified to have specific metabolic pathways that enable them to degrade contaminants. Bioaugmentation allows for the degradation of specific pollutants.

Microorganisms in Bioremediation

Since living organisms are what break down and destroy environmental pollutants, microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and even some types of algae are crucial to the bioremediation process. By choosing microorganisms that are known to degrade the pollutant of concern, the remediation process can be more efficient and effective.

• Bacteria

Bacteria are adaptable, simple to cultivate, and proliferate quickly. Heavy metals, chemical substances, and petroleum products can all be broken down by bacteria. The commonly used bacteria include Pseudomonas (used to degrade hydrocarbons, pesticides, and heavy metals), Bacillus (used to produce enzymes that break down complex organic compounds), and Rhizobium (used to clean up heavy metal contamination in soil).

• Fungi

Fungi can break down contaminants like lignin and cellulose that bacteria cannot. Moreover, certain kinds of pesticides and herbicides can be broken down by fungi. The commonly used fungi include Aspergillus (used to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), Trichoderma (used to degrade lignin), and Phanerochaete chrysosporium (used to degrade dioxins and lignin).

• Algae

Algae are less frequently utilized in bioremediation, although they are useful for purifying water that has become contaminated with too much phosphate and nitrogen. Algae can absorb these excess nutrients and convert them into biomass. The commonly used algae include Chlorella and Spirulina.