Major oil spills immediately capture public attention, but invariably fade quickly from the news cycle. The environmental damage they cause, however, can linger for years. Wildlife rescue crews are highly visible as they clean shore birds, but some of the most important restoration efforts are now accomplished by creatures too small for humans to easily see. Today, bioremediation companies are using micro-organisms to clean up man-made toxic messes.
They include fungi, yeasts, and bacteria and their enzymes. All play an integral part in the breakdown and destruction of harmful materials, especially crude oil. Although effective, using natural methods takes time, and works best when the spilled pollutants are actually suitable food for the bacteria. In many cases, natural processes must be artificially stimulated to help restore large areas quickly and efficiently.
Unlike other organisms, these creatures produce energy and take in nutrients while digesting harmful substances, effectively removing those chemicals them from the existing food chain, and preventing other creatures from being poisoned. Bio-stimulation encourages them to eat more than they would normally by increasing the oxygen supply through aeration, which helps them to metabolize substances more quickly. Bio-augmentation goes a step further.
In addition to aeration, bio-augmentation enriches the polluted area with extra numbers of microbes already known to prefer consuming a particular type of pollutant. This is a more effective method than simply letting nature take its course, and when properly balanced for a local ecosystem, the toxins are more rapidly broken down into safer sulfates, water, carbon dioxide, and other naturally occurring materials.
Biological remediation is not limited to bodies of water. During the past century, the pressures of World War II sidelined environmental concerns, and fuel storage units on military sites often leaked deep underground during the following years. Some contaminated the ground water, increasing local rates of certain diseases, including cancer. Cleanup traditionally involved earth-moving equipment, and a controlled storage facility.
Surface soil disruption is eliminated when microbes are encouraged to do the most difficult work. Specific types of creatures prefer to eat a variety of toxic materials, but do not create hazardous by-products that must be contained afterward. Their biological processes help sustain other creatures in the ecosystem, allowing wildlife populations to return to normal levels. It is an ideal way to better clean up hard-to-reach locales.
Not all contaminants can be dealt with this simply. Some substances are too toxic for even the hardiest bacteria, and spills that soon become widespread may not be ideal for biological control methods. Any site undergoing this type of remediation process must be consistently monitored to make sure that the hazardous materials are actually disappearing. When there is an urgent time limit, surface soil relocation may still be necessary.
In many cases, the overall restoration costs may be less than half those associated with traditional methods, and associated insurance costs are reduced. There are fewer concerns about hazardous materials contaminating off-site storage sites, and chemical evaporation is reduced to nearly zero. In an ideal situation, the area being cleaned returns to its normal, balanced ecological state relatively quickly.
They include fungi, yeasts, and bacteria and their enzymes. All play an integral part in the breakdown and destruction of harmful materials, especially crude oil. Although effective, using natural methods takes time, and works best when the spilled pollutants are actually suitable food for the bacteria. In many cases, natural processes must be artificially stimulated to help restore large areas quickly and efficiently.
Unlike other organisms, these creatures produce energy and take in nutrients while digesting harmful substances, effectively removing those chemicals them from the existing food chain, and preventing other creatures from being poisoned. Bio-stimulation encourages them to eat more than they would normally by increasing the oxygen supply through aeration, which helps them to metabolize substances more quickly. Bio-augmentation goes a step further.
In addition to aeration, bio-augmentation enriches the polluted area with extra numbers of microbes already known to prefer consuming a particular type of pollutant. This is a more effective method than simply letting nature take its course, and when properly balanced for a local ecosystem, the toxins are more rapidly broken down into safer sulfates, water, carbon dioxide, and other naturally occurring materials.
Biological remediation is not limited to bodies of water. During the past century, the pressures of World War II sidelined environmental concerns, and fuel storage units on military sites often leaked deep underground during the following years. Some contaminated the ground water, increasing local rates of certain diseases, including cancer. Cleanup traditionally involved earth-moving equipment, and a controlled storage facility.
Surface soil disruption is eliminated when microbes are encouraged to do the most difficult work. Specific types of creatures prefer to eat a variety of toxic materials, but do not create hazardous by-products that must be contained afterward. Their biological processes help sustain other creatures in the ecosystem, allowing wildlife populations to return to normal levels. It is an ideal way to better clean up hard-to-reach locales.
Not all contaminants can be dealt with this simply. Some substances are too toxic for even the hardiest bacteria, and spills that soon become widespread may not be ideal for biological control methods. Any site undergoing this type of remediation process must be consistently monitored to make sure that the hazardous materials are actually disappearing. When there is an urgent time limit, surface soil relocation may still be necessary.
In many cases, the overall restoration costs may be less than half those associated with traditional methods, and associated insurance costs are reduced. There are fewer concerns about hazardous materials contaminating off-site storage sites, and chemical evaporation is reduced to nearly zero. In an ideal situation, the area being cleaned returns to its normal, balanced ecological state relatively quickly.
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