Microbiology in sustainable remediation of contaminated sites

Abstract

The release of chemicals that have negative human or environmental health impacts has been rife around the world for a century. Approaches to contaminated site remediation have evolved over this time to address environmental contamination. Over the past 15years there has been an increasing focus on sustainability in remediation. Bioremediation has emerged as a remediation technology of choice based on sustainability credentials. Research on pollutant biodegradation, including the discovery and characterisation of microbes responsible, underpins biological remediation applications.

Keywords

• bioremediation
• chemical contamination
• mine sites
• organohalide respiring bacteria
• reductive dechlorination