greenhouse gas emissions and contamination of land and water with organic and
inorganic pollutants.
Others Technologies Wastes from industrial and mining sectors are widely used
through advanced engineered techniques in making construction materials,
chemicals and other utilities (Gautam et al. 2016). Mining wastes such as Fe, Cu,
Zn and Al tailings, coal washeries and overburden wastes are used as raw materials
in the recovery of expensive minerals and manufacture of construction materials for
embankments of roadways, railways, rivers, dams, bricks, concrete beams, tiles,
lightweight aggregates, glasses, ceramics and fuel (Gayana and Chandar 2018;
Indian Bureau of Mines 2002). Metallurgical wastes such as slags, red mud, fly
ash and galvanizing residues are used in making cement, concretes, bricks, tiles,
ceramics, blocks, polymers, composites, wood substitute products, paints, boards
and in metal recovery (Matinde et al. 2018).
16.6.2 Bioremediation of Contaminated Sites
The engineered techniques in management of wastes from various sectors are
although advanced and highly efficient but are still at their initial stages of development. Particularly in developing countries like India, these technologies do not offer
a cost-effective option at present. The cost incurred in cleaning of contaminated sites
in the USA alone is $6–8 billion per year, with global costs in the range of $25–50
billion (Tsao 2003). Conventional, mechanical or physico-chemical treatment
techniques to manage polluted sites by excavation, soil washing, solidification/
stabilization, electrokinetic remediation and soil incineration also suffer from
limitations like cost ineffectiveness, intensive labour requirement and irreversible
soil disturbances (Yeung 2010). Therefore, management of solid waste dumps and
contaminated sites through biotechnological approaches is the only sustainable,
cost-effective and environmentally benign options to safeguard the environment
(Gautam et al. 2017; Meagher 2000). Proper management policies, suitable remedial
strategies and sustainable utilization of resources without altering the natural ecosystem should be the prime aim of all researchers and decision-making bodies in
order to combat soil pollution problems in a holistic way. The cost-effectiveness of
bioremediation was reported by Blaylock et al. (1997), who were able to save
50–65% of cost, when bioremediation was used for the treatment of one acre of
Pb-polluted soil compared with the use of conventional methods such as excavation
and landfills.
Bioremediation is the use of biological agents (bacteria, fungi, plants and earthworm) to remove or neutralize harmful toxic substances by converting them to either
less or non-toxic form in an eco-friendly manner for environmental safety (Mishra
et al. 2019). Bioremediation is an effective means of mitigating both organic
(hydrocarbons, halogenated organic compounds, pesticides, herbicides and other
compounds) and inorganic (non-metals, metal(loid)s and radionuclides)
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M. Gautam et al.
inorganic pollutants.
Others Technologies Wastes from industrial and mining sectors are widely used
through advanced engineered techniques in making construction materials,
chemicals and other utilities (Gautam et al. 2016). Mining wastes such as Fe, Cu,
Zn and Al tailings, coal washeries and overburden wastes are used as raw materials
in the recovery of expensive minerals and manufacture of construction materials for
embankments of roadways, railways, rivers, dams, bricks, concrete beams, tiles,
lightweight aggregates, glasses, ceramics and fuel (Gayana and Chandar 2018;
Indian Bureau of Mines 2002). Metallurgical wastes such as slags, red mud, fly
ash and galvanizing residues are used in making cement, concretes, bricks, tiles,
ceramics, blocks, polymers, composites, wood substitute products, paints, boards
and in metal recovery (Matinde et al. 2018).
16.6.2 Bioremediation of Contaminated Sites
The engineered techniques in management of wastes from various sectors are
although advanced and highly efficient but are still at their initial stages of development. Particularly in developing countries like India, these technologies do not offer
a cost-effective option at present. The cost incurred in cleaning of contaminated sites
in the USA alone is $6–8 billion per year, with global costs in the range of $25–50
billion (Tsao 2003). Conventional, mechanical or physico-chemical treatment
techniques to manage polluted sites by excavation, soil washing, solidification/
stabilization, electrokinetic remediation and soil incineration also suffer from
limitations like cost ineffectiveness, intensive labour requirement and irreversible
soil disturbances (Yeung 2010). Therefore, management of solid waste dumps and
contaminated sites through biotechnological approaches is the only sustainable,
cost-effective and environmentally benign options to safeguard the environment
(Gautam et al. 2017; Meagher 2000). Proper management policies, suitable remedial
strategies and sustainable utilization of resources without altering the natural ecosystem should be the prime aim of all researchers and decision-making bodies in
order to combat soil pollution problems in a holistic way. The cost-effectiveness of
bioremediation was reported by Blaylock et al. (1997), who were able to save
50–65% of cost, when bioremediation was used for the treatment of one acre of
Pb-polluted soil compared with the use of conventional methods such as excavation
and landfills.
Bioremediation is the use of biological agents (bacteria, fungi, plants and earthworm) to remove or neutralize harmful toxic substances by converting them to either
less or non-toxic form in an eco-friendly manner for environmental safety (Mishra
et al. 2019). Bioremediation is an effective means of mitigating both organic
(hydrocarbons, halogenated organic compounds, pesticides, herbicides and other
compounds) and inorganic (non-metals, metal(loid)s and radionuclides)
472
M. Gautam et al.