environment (Ali 2010). The eradication of these wide ranges of contaminants
(mentioned in the above points) from the environment is a sheer requirement to
enhance the sustainability of our society (Adenipekun and Lawal 2012). The absolute key solution for pollution abatement is the use of “bioremediation”. Among all
available approaches, it is one of the most effective and inventive technologies,
which uses microorganisms to deteriorate environmental pollutants causing pollution in the environment (Niti et al. 2013). Oil and pipeline spills in the 1970s to
1980s have triggered immense research on the degradation of petroleum
hydrocarbons carried out by microbes and also demonstrated for the very first time
that bioremediation is a powerful method for restoring surface soil affected with
crude products of oil (Löffler and Edwards 2006). It is a multidisciplinary approach
that centrally thrusts the field of microbiology (Niti et al. 2013). Microorganisms are
the original recyclers present on mother earth to overcome challenges by converting
toxic organic chemicals to harmless end products, i.e. CO 2 and H 2 O (Joshi et al.
2010; Abatenh et al. 2017). Microorganisms are capable to survive in all places on
the earth, because of their metabolism and ranges in all kinds of environments
because of its varied nutritional capacity (Abatenh et al. 2017). Ever since, it has
been discovered that the tiny organisms called microbes can biodegrade xenobiotics,
especially pesticides in soil. Researchers are investigating the microbial diversity,
which particularly belongs to polluted areas that can biodegrade a variety of
contaminants (Joshi et al. 2010).
Remediation is a process of removal of contaminants from the environment using
physical, chemical and biological means. The remediation approaches tackle the
issues that cause potential damage from the “origin” of various pollutants (Lynch
and Moffat 2005; Mehndiratta et al. 2013; Behera and Prasad 2020). Remediation is
different from “restoration” and “reclamation” as it can tackle with the source that
causes pollution, forbidding the “pathway” among the receiver and the source,
removal of the susceptible receptor either on a permanent basis by the transition of
an area in use or on temporary basis till pollution drops below a threshold level
(Lynch and Moffat 2005). Different conventional remediation approaches such as
membrane separation, filtration, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, electrochemical
treatment and adsorption have been explored for the elimination of contaminants
from the environment.
15.2 Conventional Methods of Remediation
Conventional methods (Fig. 15.1) used for remediation of waste or contaminants are
discussed below:
15.2.1 Mechanical Separation
Mechanical separation is a physicochemical method in which contaminants in the
soil are removed by gravitational separation (based on the differences in the density
between fractions), cyclones (based on the Coriolis effect), sieving (separation based
15 The Role of Microorganisms in Remediation of Environmental Contaminants
423
(mentioned in the above points) from the environment is a sheer requirement to
enhance the sustainability of our society (Adenipekun and Lawal 2012). The absolute key solution for pollution abatement is the use of “bioremediation”. Among all
available approaches, it is one of the most effective and inventive technologies,
which uses microorganisms to deteriorate environmental pollutants causing pollution in the environment (Niti et al. 2013). Oil and pipeline spills in the 1970s to
1980s have triggered immense research on the degradation of petroleum
hydrocarbons carried out by microbes and also demonstrated for the very first time
that bioremediation is a powerful method for restoring surface soil affected with
crude products of oil (Löffler and Edwards 2006). It is a multidisciplinary approach
that centrally thrusts the field of microbiology (Niti et al. 2013). Microorganisms are
the original recyclers present on mother earth to overcome challenges by converting
toxic organic chemicals to harmless end products, i.e. CO 2 and H 2 O (Joshi et al.
2010; Abatenh et al. 2017). Microorganisms are capable to survive in all places on
the earth, because of their metabolism and ranges in all kinds of environments
because of its varied nutritional capacity (Abatenh et al. 2017). Ever since, it has
been discovered that the tiny organisms called microbes can biodegrade xenobiotics,
especially pesticides in soil. Researchers are investigating the microbial diversity,
which particularly belongs to polluted areas that can biodegrade a variety of
contaminants (Joshi et al. 2010).
Remediation is a process of removal of contaminants from the environment using
physical, chemical and biological means. The remediation approaches tackle the
issues that cause potential damage from the “origin” of various pollutants (Lynch
and Moffat 2005; Mehndiratta et al. 2013; Behera and Prasad 2020). Remediation is
different from “restoration” and “reclamation” as it can tackle with the source that
causes pollution, forbidding the “pathway” among the receiver and the source,
removal of the susceptible receptor either on a permanent basis by the transition of
an area in use or on temporary basis till pollution drops below a threshold level
(Lynch and Moffat 2005). Different conventional remediation approaches such as
membrane separation, filtration, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, electrochemical
treatment and adsorption have been explored for the elimination of contaminants
from the environment.
15.2 Conventional Methods of Remediation
Conventional methods (Fig. 15.1) used for remediation of waste or contaminants are
discussed below:
15.2.1 Mechanical Separation
Mechanical separation is a physicochemical method in which contaminants in the
soil are removed by gravitational separation (based on the differences in the density
between fractions), cyclones (based on the Coriolis effect), sieving (separation based
15 The Role of Microorganisms in Remediation of Environmental Contaminants
423