The Relevance Of Bioremediation For Nature

The Relevance Of Bioremediation For Nature

Overview

  • Post By : Dr.Bhim Pratap Singh PHD

  • Source:

  • Date: 14 Sep,2015

Today, as the population is increasing exponentially, more stress is coming on the environment in the form of waste products, arises from the consumed products, which are toxic to the environment in varying degree. One promising solution for environment cleanup is through Bioremediation.

“Bioremediation” as the name suggests; it’s a means through which biological agents like potent microbes are used to control or remedy the environmental pollutants. According to the EPA, bioremediation is a “treatment that uses naturally occurring organisms to break down hazardous substances into less toxic or nontoxic substances”. One of the key players in bioremediation is microorganisms which inhabit synonym to our environment. They are the ultimate taskmasters in contaminant destruction because they possess enzymes that allow them to access and digest these wasted pollutants as food.

Bioremediation as such is usually carried out in situ, i.e., on-site waste treatment or ex situ, i.e., removal and treatment of contaminated waste in another suitable site. Some examples of bioremediation related technologies are composting, biostimulation, pigmentation etc.

Bioremediation is important for the following reasons.

No More Chemicals: The major advantage of the bioremediation technology is that it permits the polluted waste to be treated, neutralized or removed without the use of chemicals or industrialized incinerators.

Waste Recycle: the bioremediated waste itself can then be recycled as in the case of compost or in the case of the phytoremediatory plants and rhizofiltration, the plant and its residual microbial flora are able to bioaccumulate the toxic chemicals. Since the organism continues to grow, the need to eradicate is avoided.

Cost effectiveness: It requires only relatively low capital costs, is surely of low energy input, and self-sustaining. Hence this biotechnological process in comparison to the existing conventional cleanup technologies likely to play a key role in the worlds disposal technique.

With the world leaders calling for greener technologies; bioremediation is surely one such efficient, innovative technology; wherein a diverse range of pollutants can be treated using biological agents; proximally inherent to nature. Thus, in short bioremediation is an invaluable tool box for wider application in the realm of environmental protection. Great scientist late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was also worried during last days and was thinking continuously on “how to make this earth livable”, we feel Bioremediation could be one of the solution for his worries.

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