Bioremediation of an Oil Spill withPseudomonas aeruginosa

Humans speed the process of Bioremediation of oil slicks by the application of inorganic fertilizer can speed up the process of bioremediation.BioremediationBioremediation is the process of exploiting microorganisms in the removal of pollutants from the environment.

Selenium pollutionCompounds of the metal selenium sometimes pollute soils or water. Various bacteria absorb selenate ions and oxidise them to metallic selenium, which is much less toxic.Microbe nutrition in BioremediationPseudomonas can use crude oil for energy. They also require substances such as potassium and urea as nutrients. These are often sprayed on to a spill to aid the bacteria in their work. Bacteria are very useful in bioremediation because they can multiply very quickly by binary fission and they are very varied in their metabolism. Bacteria carry out a wider range of chemical reactions, especially inorganic reactions, than any other group of organisms. There is often a species of bacterium that will perform the necessary reaction in a bioremediation process.The removal of industrial solvents from the soil

Industrial solvents are organic compounds such as dichloroethylene, trichloroethylene, chloroform, and some brominated and fluorinated related compounds which are highly toxic. Some bacteria such as Dehalobacterium are able to break down these compounds by using this reaction:3CH2Cl2 + CO2 + 4H2O 2CHOOH + CH3COOH + 6HCl

Examples of Bioremediation

Bioremediation of oil slicksMicrobes oxidate hydrocarbons; which takes a long time and some hydrocarbons are very difficult to oxidate.

Bioremediation of soils Pesticides which are widely used in the agrochemical farming industry to control harmful organisms which damage crops, have begun creating problems for the environment. Herbicides are the most commonly used pesticides, but insecticides are also very widely used but pose the greatest risk to humans.Some pesticides are biodegradable (made of organic compounds) but some are not. The biodegradable ones can be eventually removed from the soil naturally over time.

BIOREMEDIATION