Bioremediation Technology
Today, the remediation or cleanup of hazardous materials from the environment represents a $50 billion service industry a subset of the $205 Billion spent annually in the U.S. for all environmental related products and services (source Environmental Business Journal®). While the terms “remediate” and “clean-up” are often applied interchangeably, they are defined differently. “Remediation” is the removal or treatment of hazardous contaminants to levels or standards imposed by regulatory agencies, which may neither restore the site to “pristine” condition, nor to the condition existing prior to the activities causing the contamination. The remediation levels or standards established by regulatory agencies are primarily based upon health risk assessments. These risk assessments analyze the danger to public health and safety from various exposures to the contaminants discovered. The risks of exposure, plus the severity of the exposure itself, are the principal factors in determining the remediation standards. “Clean-up” of a site, however, achieves levels of contamination at or below the detectable level required by regulatory agencies. When this is possible, land use opportunities improve, thereby enhancing the economic benefits to be derived from the property.
One of the methods used to remediate or clean-up toxic waste is bioremediation. Bioremediation is a treatment process that uses naturally occurring microorganisms, such as yeast, fungi or bacteria, to breakdown hazardous substances into less toxic, or even non-toxic, substances. Bioremediation technologies assist the growth of microorganisms and increase microbial populations by creating optimum environmental conditions for them to detoxify the maximum amount of contaminants. The specific type of bioremediation technology used is determined by several factors, including the type of microorganisms present, the site conditions, and the quantity and toxicity of contaminant chemicals. Different microorganisms degrade different types of compounds and survive under different conditions. Bioremediation treatments may be in situ or ex situ. In situ bioremediation treats the contaminated soil or groundwater in the location in which it was found. Ex situ bioremediation processes require excavation of contaminated soil or pumping of groundwater before treatment.
Bioremediation encompasses opportunities not only for the remediation or cleanup of commercial and industrial sites, but of government sites as well.
