Bioremediation

Tina Yu

What is Bioremediation?
Bioremediation Biology Remediate= To solve a problem

Bio-Remediate= to use biological organisms to solve an environmental problem

Bioremediation The collective range of clean up methods by using natural microorganism (such as bacteria, plant, Fungi, etc.) to degrade hazardous organic contaminants or convert hazardous inorganic contaminants to environmentally less toxic or nontoxic compounds of safe levels in soils, subsurface materials, water, sludges, and residues.

PRINCIPLES OF BIOREMEDIATION
Bioremediation is based on the idea that organisms are capable to take in things from the environment and use it to enhance their growth and metabolism. With this unique characteristic lay the fundamental principle of Bioremediation, to use microorganism to take in contaminated substances from the environment or convert it to a nontoxic form. Bacteria, Protista, and fungi are well known for degrading complex molecules and transform the product into part of their metabolism.

PROCESS OF BIOREMEDIATION
1. 2. Microbes releases enzyme to break down the contaminant into digestible pieces The contaminant of organic substances is ingest and digest as food along with other energy source by the cell.

GOAL Degrade organic substances that are hazardous to living organisms and degrade the organic contaminants into inert products. So only harmless biological wastes are all that remain of the contaminant.

BIOREMEDIATION NATURAL ATTENUATION IN SITU BIOAUGMENTATION EX SITU

BIOSTIMULATION

BIOREMEDIATION NATURAL ATTENUATION LANDFARMING EX SITU EX SITE REACTOR IN SITU

BIOREMEDIATION: Bacteria
The use of bacteria to degrade pesticides. Scientist have identify a bacterium (Anthrobacteria) that could be used to clean up pesticide residues in soil Bacteria used as detectors of pollution and monitors of toxic waste. These bacterial biosensors, such as modified luminescent aquatic bacteria, can be used to measure the toxicity levels in samples of soils and water The possibility of using genetically modified (GM) plants and microorganisms as a mean of remediating persistent pollutants, such as toxic explosive residues Huge number of bacteria exist naturally in the soils and the rubbish of recycling and land fill sites. Some of those bacteria slowly break down the many different types of waste. Some bacteria use oil as a source of nutrients just as we use food. These bacteria can be use to clean oil spills at sea or on the shores.

BIOREMEDIATION: Phytoremediation
Plants have been commonly used for the bioremediation Process call Phytoremediatiion, which is to use plants to decontaminated soil by extracting heavy metals .

HOW DOES IT WORK

Plants that are grown in polluted soil are specialized for the process of Phytoremeidation. The plants roots can extract the contaminant, heavy metals, by one of the two ways, either break the contaminant down in the soil or to suck the contaminant up, and store it in the stem and leaves of the plant. Usually the plant will be harvest and removed from the site and burned.

WHEN TO USE IT
Phytoremediation Process is use under satisfy environmental regulation and costs less then other alternatives. This process is very affective in cleaning polluted soil.

BIOREMEDIATION: White-Rot Fungi

White Rot Fungi are very effective in cleaning up a wide range of soil pollutants Wood Preservation Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Organoachlorines Polychlorinated Biphyenyls Dyes Pesticides Fungicides Herbicides Ligin WHEN TO USE IT White Rot Fungi Bioremediation is very capable of degrading high to low levels of contaminants WHY USE IT White Rot Fungi have been commonly study, and it is found to be especially effective when it is apply to foreign countries, it can overcome environment problems

LIMITATIONS OF BIOREMEDIATION
CONTAMINANT TYPE AND CONCENTRATION ENVIRONMENT SOIL TYPE CONDITION AND PROXIMITY OF GROUNDWATER NATURE OF ORGANISM COST/BENEFIT RATIOS: COST VERUS OVERALL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL SURFACE LENGTH OF BIOREMEDIATION PROCESS CAPABILITIES OF BIOREMEDIATION

SUCCESSFUL BIOREMEDIATION CASES

CASE: Crude oil spill, Bemidji, Minnesota

In the year 1979, in Bemidji, Minnesota a pipeline carrying crude oil suddenly exploded and releasing an enormous amount of oil. As a result of the oil spill, toxic chemicals were released which rapidly Degraded the microbial population. The plume of contaminated ground water stopped enlarging after a few years as rates of the microbial degradation came in to balance with rates of the contaminant leaching.

CASE

EXXON VALDEZ oil spill

BIOREMEDIATION: A Choice to Make

ADVANTAGES WHY USE BIOREMEDIATION
Minimal exposure of on site workers to the contaminant Long term protection of public health The Cheapest of all methods of pollutant removal The process can be done on site with a minimum amount of space and equipment Eliminates the need to transport of hazardous material Uses natural process Transform pollutants instead of simply moving them from one media to another Perform the degradation in an acceptable time frame

DISADVANTAGES POTENTIAL PROBLEMS

Cost overrun Failure to meet targets Poor management Climate Issue Regulatory compliance concern Release of contaminants to environment Unable to estimate the length of time its going to take, it may vary from site. It can takes a few month to as long as a few years. Not all organic compounds are biodegradable There are some concerns that the products of biodegradation many be more toxic then its parental form