Bioremediation: Overview, Process, Examples, Types, Topics

Any method in which a living or dead biological system (usually bacteria, microalgae, fungus, and plants) is used to remove environmental contaminants from the air, water, soil, flue gases, industrial effluents, etc., in natural or artificial settings is referred to as bioremediation. Bioremediation is one of the topics in Biology and they carry a weightage of 2-3% in NEET and 3% in CBSE and other Paramedical Exams.

What is Bioremediation?

Bioremediation is scalable, affordable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly in contrast to traditional physicochemical treatment approaches, which have significant limitations. The majority of bioremediation is unintentional and involves native organisms. Research on bioremediation has a strong emphasis on accelerating the process by introducing organisms to a polluted site or providing nutrients to encourage development. Some of the basics of Bioremediation are discussed below:

• Bioremediation also impacts the by-product of anthropogenic activities such as industrialisation and agriculture.

• This is a cost-effective and environment-friendly clean-up option available.

• Some of the organic contaminants such as metals which are heavy for biodegradation are generally more susceptible to oxidation.

• This increases the water solubility of these organic molecules.

• The biodegradation process ultimately reduces the hydrocarbon to carbon dioxide and water which facilitates the removal of the containment from the environment.

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Types Of Bioremediation Methods

Bioremediation is one of the biological processes which involves several treatment methods in order to degrade and eliminate harmful compounds from the environment. This basically takes place in the soil and water and is mainly categorized into two types of bioremediation methods.

• Ex-situ methods

• In-situ methods

Other methods of Bioremediation

Incineration

Wastes and other undesired materials are burned during this procedure. The organic waste is converted during burning into ash, flue gas, and heat. Ash is what's left of the waste's inorganic components. Thermal treatment is another name for it.

Phytoremediation

In this scenario, plants are directly used to clean up or contain contaminants in the soil. This method of bioremediation will help mitigate the environmental problem without the need to excavate the contaminant material and dispose of it elsewhere.

Types of Questions Asked from Bioremediation

During exam preparation, different types of questions about the Bioremediation are asked. The table below contains the different patterns of questions asked in different exams.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Bioremediation

It takes effort to remember everything in a single go. We made the entire problem easy. Some of the tricks regarding Bioremediation are given below which you can use to memorise the important points.

Types of Bioremediation Methods

"E2I: Ex-situ and In-situ"

• E1: Ex-situ methods (treatment of contaminated materials away from the original site)

• E2: Examples include composting and land farming

• I: In-situ methods (treatment of contaminated sites directly)

Key Techniques in Bioremediation

"BEEP: Bioventing, Extraction, Phytoremediation"

• B: Bioventing (injecting air to promote aerobic degradation)

• E: Extraction (removing pollutants using techniques like biosparging)

• E: Enhanced biodegradation through nutrients and microorganisms

• P: Phytoremediation (using plants to absorb or degrade pollutants)

Factors Affecting Bioremediation Efficiency

"C3H: Concentration, Conditions, Community"

• C1: Concentration of pollutants (higher concentrations can inhibit microbial activity)

• C2: Environmental conditions (temperature, pH, and moisture levels)

• C3: Microbial community (diversity and abundance of microbes involved in degradation)

• H: Availability of nutrients (essential for microbial growth and metabolism)

Common Contaminants

"H.O.C.: Hydrocarbons, Organics, Chemicals"

• H: Hydrocarbons (petroleum products and PAHs)

• O: Organic solvents (like trichloroethylene and benzene)

• C: Heavy metals (difficult to remediate and require specific methods)

Bioremediation Challenges

"S.A.N: Slow rate, Adaptation, Nutrient limitation"

• S: Slow degradation rates (bioremediation can take time)

• A: Microbial adaptation (organisms may require time to adapt to new pollutants)

• N: Nutrient limitation (availability of essential nutrients can affect efficiency)

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