What is bioremediation? How does it help in controlling soil pollution?

Hint: This technology makes it possible to wash up the oceans after major oil spills and other unfortunate environmental disasters. By using present bacteria to eliminate contaminants within the sea, we protect and encourage aqua-culturists and their attempts to unravel the matter of worldwide food production.

Complete Answer:
- Bioremediation is the branch of biotechnology that employs the use of living organisms, like microbes and bacteria, in the removal of contaminants, pollutants, and toxins from soil, water, and other environments.
- It is used to reduce or clean the contaminated soil or ground water.This makes it different from remedies where contaminated soil or water is removed for chemical treatment or decontamination incineration or burial in a landfill.
- The process includes oxidation-reduction reactions where either an electron acceptor, oxygen is added to stimulate oxidation of pollutant, hydrocarbon. Additional nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and pH buffers may be added to optimize conditions for the microorganisms. Sometimes specialized microbial cultures are added to further enhance biodegradation for example, phytoremediation, mycoremediation.
- Bioremediation uses microorganisms to reduce pollution through the biological degradation of pollutants into non-toxic substances.

Note: Different bioremediations are aerobic, anaerobic, denitrification and many more.
- Aerobic bioremediation is the most common form of oxidative bioremediation process where oxygen is provided as the electron acceptor for oxidation of petroleum and other reduced pollutants.
- Anaerobic bioremediation can be employed to treat a broad range of oxidized contaminants including chlorinated ethane’s chlorinated ethanes.
- Denitrification the loss or removal of nitrogen or nitrogen compounds specifically: reduction of nitrates or nitrites commonly by bacteria (as in soil) that usually results in the escape of nitrogen into the air.