Interactions of Soil Components and Microorganisms and their Effects on Soil Remediation

Abstract

Minerals, organic matter and microorganisms are intimately associated in soils and closely interact in environmental processes. These interactions are especially important in the soil rhizosphere and the sediment-water interface, where low-molecular weight biochemicals are abundant and microbial activity is intense. Current research is driven by the widespread contamination of our soils with organic pollutants and the desire to apply the knowledge acquired during earlier basic research to practical applications in the field (Atlas and Philp, 2005). These explorations not only increase our understanding of the interactions between microorganisms and other soil components, but also assist us in establishing and applying methods for waste remediation and the cleanup of contaminated soils. As the importance of bioavailability has been recognized and is being considered in regulatory decision-making, a greater understanding of the factors affecting the bioavailability of contaminants to plants and organisms is necessary. Increased knowledge will provide more realistic information about how to take bioavailability and toxicity into consideration for risk assessment and site remediation. Human activities and industrialization development generate by-products and waste that must be disposed of in a way that should not affect the environment. Even when such by-products are used on agricultural lands as a resource, e.g. organic waste that may contribute to maintain or increase the organic matter and nutrient content in the soil, there are growing concerns about the fate of undesirable constituents they may contain.