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In early times, we believed that we had an unlimited abundance of land and resources; today, however,
the resources in the world show, in greater or lesser degree, our carelessness and negligence in using
them. The problems associated with contaminated sites now assume increasing prominence in many
countries. Contaminated lands generally result from past industrial activities when awareness of the
health and environmental effects connected with the production, use, and disposal of hazardous
substances were less well recognized than today. Environmental contamination is increasing day by day
because of increase in population, industrialization and urbanization.
Bioremediation is the use of living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to degrade environmental
contaminants into less toxic forms. Research has demonstrated that there are very few environments
where microbes have not been able to survive, adapt, and indeed, thrive. Microbes are able to utilize a
near infinite combination of electron donors and electron acceptors to drive their metabolism.
The purpose of this document is to provide fundamental information about factors that influence the rate
and extent to which environmental contaminants are metabolized by microorganisms in the environment
and technology involved including in situ (Bioventing, Biosparging, Biostimulation, Bioaugmentation)
and ext site bioremediation (Landfarming, Soil Biopiles, Composting, Bioreactors) and also a short
description about the phytoremediation and its types.
Keywords: Bioremediation, Biostimulation, Bioaugmentation, Biosparging, etc.