bioremediace

Bioremediace (bioremediation) is the use of biological organisms or their processes to remove, transform or stabilize environmental contaminants. It relies principally on microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, fungi) and plants to degrade organic pollutants, immobilize or extract inorganic compounds, and reduce toxicity in soil, sediment, groundwater and wastewater.

Common approaches include in situ techniques, applied directly at the contamination site (bioventing, biosparging, monitored natural attenuation), and ex situ methods, where material is excavated or pumped and treated elsewhere (landfarming, composting, bioreactors). Specific strategies include biostimulation (adding nutrients or electron acceptors to enhance native microbes), bioaugmentation (introducing specialized strains), phytoremediation (using plants to uptake or stabilize contaminants) and mycoremediation (using fungi).

Effectiveness depends on contaminant type and concentration, bioavailability, environmental conditions (oxygen, pH, temperature), nutrient balance and microbial community structure. Bioremediace is widely used for petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, some pesticides, explosives and certain metals (through transformation or phytoremediation). Advantages include lower cost, reduced site disturbance and the potential for complete mineralization of organics. Limitations include slower timeframes, incomplete degradation, formation of secondary byproducts and regulatory or health concerns for introduced organisms.

Research focuses on improving rates and reliability through microbial ecology, genetic engineering, omics-based monitoring and combined physical–chemical–biological systems. Bioremediace is often integrated with other remediation methods to meet regulatory cleanup objectives.