4.4.5 The Bioremediation
The definition of bioremediation is understood by the general definition as the use of
living organisms (MOs, plants, etc.) to ameliorate and restore the ecological status of
a polluted or degraded substrate (area, land, aquifer, etc.) good, favorable to life,
undisturbed, and unpolluted, or to return and to restore it to the former state.
Bioremediation is a modern pollutant treatment technology that uses biological
factors (MOs) to convert certain chemicals into less harmful/dangerous endpoints,
ideally CO 2 and H 2 O, which are nontoxic and released into the environment without
altering substantially the balance of ecosystems.
Bioremediation is based on the ability of some chemical compounds to be
biodegraded. The concept of biodegradation is accepted as a summing-up of processes of decomposition of natural or synthetic constituents by activating strains of
specialized MOs resulting in end products useful or acceptable from the point of
view of the environmental impact. Example of bioremediation is biological treatment of wastewater by using living organisms to restore it to the original situation. In
the last decades, the term “bioremediation” is used in a more specific way, reflected
by the two specific definitions: the use of living organisms to degrade environmental
pollutants to prevent pollution or waste treatment and application of biological
treatments for the cleaning, decontamination, and degradation of dangerous
substances (Lebeau et al. 2008; Prasad and Aranda 2018).
4.4.5.1 Advantages of Bioremediation
Biotechnologically addressing pollution problems through bioremediation methods
has the advantage of requiring moderate investment capital, does not generate waste,
and is environmentally safe and self-supporting. Biotechnological processes for
toxic effluent treatment compete with existing methods in terms of efficiency and
economic efficiency. Biotechnological methods for toxic waste treatment are
designed to replace current methods of storage and detoxification of new xenobiotic
compounds (man-made). It is important, however, to limit the generation of hazardous and nonhazardous waste as well as to use recycling methods.
Other advantages of bioremediation toward other technologies are as follows:
permanent disposal of waste (limitation of compliance problems), eliminates transportation and compliance costs, minimal site disturbance, can be combined with
other technologies, and can be performed on the site, positive from the point of view
of public acceptance. Bioremediation provides, in many cases, a permanent solution
to the problem and is cost-effective. Bioremediation helps reduce costs for treatment
by treating contamination on the spot, taking advantage of natural processes, and
reducing environmental disturbance. Bioremediation is generally more costeffective than the two widely used methods, namely, burial or incineration (Asgari
Lajayer et al. 2019).
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M. Butu et al.
The definition of bioremediation is understood by the general definition as the use of
living organisms (MOs, plants, etc.) to ameliorate and restore the ecological status of
a polluted or degraded substrate (area, land, aquifer, etc.) good, favorable to life,
undisturbed, and unpolluted, or to return and to restore it to the former state.
Bioremediation is a modern pollutant treatment technology that uses biological
factors (MOs) to convert certain chemicals into less harmful/dangerous endpoints,
ideally CO 2 and H 2 O, which are nontoxic and released into the environment without
altering substantially the balance of ecosystems.
Bioremediation is based on the ability of some chemical compounds to be
biodegraded. The concept of biodegradation is accepted as a summing-up of processes of decomposition of natural or synthetic constituents by activating strains of
specialized MOs resulting in end products useful or acceptable from the point of
view of the environmental impact. Example of bioremediation is biological treatment of wastewater by using living organisms to restore it to the original situation. In
the last decades, the term “bioremediation” is used in a more specific way, reflected
by the two specific definitions: the use of living organisms to degrade environmental
pollutants to prevent pollution or waste treatment and application of biological
treatments for the cleaning, decontamination, and degradation of dangerous
substances (Lebeau et al. 2008; Prasad and Aranda 2018).
4.4.5.1 Advantages of Bioremediation
Biotechnologically addressing pollution problems through bioremediation methods
has the advantage of requiring moderate investment capital, does not generate waste,
and is environmentally safe and self-supporting. Biotechnological processes for
toxic effluent treatment compete with existing methods in terms of efficiency and
economic efficiency. Biotechnological methods for toxic waste treatment are
designed to replace current methods of storage and detoxification of new xenobiotic
compounds (man-made). It is important, however, to limit the generation of hazardous and nonhazardous waste as well as to use recycling methods.
Other advantages of bioremediation toward other technologies are as follows:
permanent disposal of waste (limitation of compliance problems), eliminates transportation and compliance costs, minimal site disturbance, can be combined with
other technologies, and can be performed on the site, positive from the point of view
of public acceptance. Bioremediation provides, in many cases, a permanent solution
to the problem and is cost-effective. Bioremediation helps reduce costs for treatment
by treating contamination on the spot, taking advantage of natural processes, and
reducing environmental disturbance. Bioremediation is generally more costeffective than the two widely used methods, namely, burial or incineration (Asgari
Lajayer et al. 2019).
94
M. Butu et al.