bioremediation Flashcards
the solving of environmental problems through the
application of biotechnology.
environmental biotechnology
applications of environmental biotechnology
elimnate hazardous waste products
assess species condition
create alternative energy sources
any process that uses organisms or their enzymes to return the polluted environment to its original condition.
Bioremediation
organisms used in bioremediation
microorganisms
algae
plants
the use of organisms in the
degradation of different pollutants.
Biodegradation
chemical compounds found in an organism but it are not normally produced or expected to be present in it.
Xenobiotic compounds
process where microorganism produces an enzyme to utilizes its nutrients, but by chance this enzyme can degrade a pollutant.
cometabolism
polutants
organic (solid, liquid, gas)
inorganic
environments
soil
water
air
the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting.
Biodegradation
process of biodegradation (3)
biodeterioration
biofragmentation
assimilation
mechanical weakening of organic matter’s structure
biodeterioration
breakdown of materials by
microorganisms
biofragmentation
the incorporation of the old material into
new cells.
assimilation
Bioremediation requires the following critical conditions (8):
host microbial contaminants
parasitic microbes
oxygen
water
carbon
temperature
nutrients
acid and alkaline proportion
provide fuel and energy to parasitical
microbes.
Host microbial contaminants
feed off their
harmful hosts and destroy them.
Parasitic microbes
A sufficient amount of ____ supports the
aerobic biodegradation process.
oxygen
n
must be present in liquid form or in soil
moisture content.
water
the foundation of microbial
life and its energy source.
Carbon
The ________ must be within the right range for microbial life to flourish, so it cannot be too cold or too hot.
temperature
support
microbe growth
nutrients (nitrogen, phosporus, potassium)
Acid andalkaline proportions must have a pH ratio ranging between ______
6.5 and 7.5
The ____ process presents the oxygen needed for microbial development.
aerobic
In contaminated soil conditions, ________ the soil is one aerobic enhancement method.
regularly tilling
mechanical introduction of aerobic action
passive bioventing
forcing compressed air into the soil or under the water table
biosparging
the most common bioremediation approach. This process involves drilling small-diameter wells into the soil that allows air ingress and passive ventilation where ground gases produced by microbial action are released.
Bioventing
People can use this approach for groundwater and soil complications because it adjusts the vent rate, which controls nutrient and oxygen rates.
Bioventing
involves high-pressure air injection forced into the soil or under the groundwater table. This process increases oxygen concentration and enhances biological degradation
Biosparging
is highly effective and affordable, compared to excavating and tilling contaminated soil or circulating polluted water through pumps and filter tanks.
Air sparging
Industries often use ________ to add extra exogenous species or indigenous microbes to industrial sites.
bioaugmentation
All the process work takes place at the contamination site.
in situ bioremediation
main technique classes of in situ bioremediation
Bioventing, biosparging and bioaugmentation
removing contaminated material from one location and
moving it to a remote treatment location. This classification is less common. It involves excavating polluted soil and trucking it offsite.
ex situ bioremediation
poses a hazard because it can spread contamination or risk an accidental spill during transport.
Ex situ bioremediation
allow an efficient optimization of
incubation parameters
biostimulation
use of plants for accumulation,
removal or conversion of pollutants.
phytoremediation
5 mechanisms of phytoremediation
phytosabilization
phytotransformation
phyvolatilization
phytoextraction
phytostimulation
approximate number of identified plant species as hyperaccumulators and their examples
400
grasses, sunflowers, corn, willow, water hyacinth
phytostabilization characteristics
in situ, targets organic and metallic contaminants, vegetation maintained
phytodegradation characteristics
attenuated in situ, organic contaminants, vegetation maintained
phytovolatilization characteristics
contaminants removed, organic and metallic contaminants, vegetation maintained
phytoextraction characteristics
contaminants removed, metallic contaminants, vegetation harvested repeatedly
includes removing contaminated soils or groundwater from the subsoil and treating it at the same site or transferring it for cleanup to another location.
Ex-situ remediation
the processes that directly remove contaminated soil or
groundwater from the ground.
in-situ techniques
involves the degradation of organic contaminants directly, through the release of enzymes from roots, or through
metabolic activities within plant tissues.
phytodegradation
involves the uptake of contaminants by plant roots
and its conversion to a gaseous state, and release into the atmosphere.
Phytovolatilization
this process drives the phytovolatilization of contaminants in plants
evapotranspiration
the ability of plants to accumulate contaminants in the aboveground, harvestable biomass.
Phytoextraction
involves repeated harvesting of the biomass in order to lower the concentration of contaminants in the soil.
Phytoextraction
two process of phytoextraction
continuous & induced
(using metal hyperaccumulating plants, or fast growing plants)
continuous process
using chemicals to increase the bioavailability of metals in the soil
-induced process
a recently developed technology that offers a cost-effective solution by using plants, and associated soil microbes, to reduce the content, or toxic effects, of contaminants in the environment.
Phytoremediation
phytoremediation technnologies (4)
phytostabilization
phytodegradation
phytovolatilization
phytoextraction
contaminants are retained in the soil.
phytostabilization
organic contaminants are converted to less
harmful substances
Phytodegradation
contaminants are converted inside plants to a gaseous
state and released into the atmosphere via the evapotranspiration process.
Phytovolatilization
plants are used
to accumulate contaminants in the
aboveground, harvestable biomass.
Phytoextraction
