The role of microorganisms in bioremediation

Abstract

Environmental pollution caused by toxic chemicals waste from biological, chemical and industrial processes has become an area of concern all over the world. Various chemical and biological processes have been developed and discovered to minimise the pollution caused due to the unwanted waste. Bioremediation is one of the most applicable and eco-friendly process of recycling non-usable wastes into reusable form. It uses the microorganisms to solve the problems faced by people due to unwanted waste. Microorganisms have amazing metabolic activity as these grow/survive in different environmental circumstances and their nutritional capacity shows the variety in uptake of waste, which make them useful as bioremediators. This chapter includes the types of bioremediations based upon the location and types of contaminants (biosparging, bioaugementation, bioventing, biopiling). It involves the action of microbial agencies like fungi, algae, yeast and bacteria to degrade, eradicate, immobilize or detoxify the harmful organic waste from the surrounding. Phytoremediation and enzyme bioremediation are the other processes involved in bioremediation. The main principle of bioremediation involves the complete conversion of pollutants (hydrocarbons, heavy metals, dyes etc.) into usable substances that depends upon various factors of bioremediation which are described in this chapter. A more advanced technique of gene manipulation of microbial strains is also discussed in later part of the chapter.