02CE7321.

1
BIOREMEDIATION PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS
Dr. Anu N.
Assistant Professor
Environmental Engineering & Management
UKF College of Engineering & Technology

Course Objectives
Students are expected to know the principles of
bioremediation and in situ treatment practices
Current bioremediation principles and practices
which enhances waste management

Syllabus
Current bioremediation practices and applications
Genetic response of microorganisms to the presence
of pollutants
Microbial detoxification of specialty chemicals
In situ bioremediation
Applications
of
genetically
engineered
microorganisms for hazardous waste management.

Course Outcome
By the end of this course a student should able to:
Identify recent techniques in the field of
bioremediation
Commercialization of various process in the field of
environmental engineering

References
Text Books
Michael J. Pelczhar, E. C. S. Chan & Noel R. Krieg,
Microbiology,Tata McGraw-Hill, 5th Edition
References:
Rose E Mckanney. Microbiology for Sanitary
Engineers
S.S.Purohit, Biotechnology- published by Agrobios
(India), Agro House, Chopasani Road, Jodhpur

Microbial Bioremediation:
A Potential Tool for Restoration
of Contaminated Areas

Introduction

Pollution: A Major Global Problem

Fig.1. Movement of pollutants through land, water and atmosphere

Current Remediation Practices

Chemical precipitation
Conventional coagulation
Adsorption by activated carbons
Adsorption by natural materials
Ion exchange
Reverse osmosis

Characteristics of Microorganisms
Suitable for Bioremediation
Marine bacteria

Adaptation in Extreme Environmental

Conditions

Fig.2. Metal-processing features of bacteria required to utilize in

bioremediation

 Variation in temperature and pH of the

surrounding environment
Changing patterns of light
Sea level rise
Tropical storms
Terrestrial inputs

 Possess the resistant genotype

Possess certain unique characteristics
Possess metal-processing features

Applications of Bacteria for

Bioremediation
Bioremediation and biotransformation
Hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds,
pharmaceutical substances, radionuclides, and
toxic metals
Supplying them with optimum levels of
nutrients and other chemicals essential for
their metabolism

 Five critical factors that should be considered

while evaluating the microbial bioremediation
for site cleanup

1
Magnitude, toxicity, and mobility of
contaminants:
The site should be properly investigated and
characterized to determine the
(i) horizontal and vertical extent of contamination;
(ii) the kinds and concentrations of contaminants at
the site;
(iii) the likely mobility of contaminants in future,
which depends on the geological characteristics of
the site.

2
Proximity of human and environmental
receptors:
Whether bioremediation is an appropriate
cleanup remedy for any site is dependent
upon the rate and extent of contaminant
degradation

3
Degradability of contaminants:
The degradability of a compound is dependent on the
occurrence of the compound in nature. In some
instances, compounds with a high molecular weight,
particularly those having complex ring structures and
halogen substituents, degrade more slowly than
simpler straight chain hydrocarbons or low molecular
weight compounds. Thus, the rate and extent to which
the compound is metabolized in the environment is
determined by the availability of electron acceptors
and other nutrients.

4
Planned site use:
The
critical
factor
deciding
the
appropriateness of bioremediation is the rate
and extent of contaminant degradation

5
Ability to properly monitor:
There are inherent uncertainties in the use of
bioremediation for contaminated soils and
aquifers due to physical, chemical, and
biological
heterogeneities
of
the
contaminated matrix.

Removal of Heavy Metals

Degradation of Polyaromatic
Hydrocarbons and Other
Recalcitrants

Transferred a catabolic plasmid of Pseudomonas putida

containing hydrocarbon degradation genotype in a marine
bacterium, which increased its efficiency
Some novel marine bacterial species like
Cycloclasticus spirillensus, Lutibacterium anuloederans, and
Neptunomonas naphthovorans have also been utilized in
enhanced biodegradation of PAHs in a marine environment
(Chung and King, 2001)
Achromobacter denitrificans, Bacillus cereus, Corynebacterium
renale, Cyclotrophicus sp., Moraxella sp., Mycobacterium sp.,
Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas
paucimobilis, P. putida, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Comamonas
testosteroni, Rhodococcus sp., Streptomyces sp., and Vibrio sp.

 Bacteria belonging to the genus Cycloclasticus

play the major role in biodegradation of
hydrocarbons

Petroleum and Diesel Biodegradation

1.7-8.810-6 tonnes of petroleum hydrocarbons are being
released to the marine and estuarine environments annually
Acinetobacter,

Marinococcus,

Methylobacterium,

Micrococcus, Nocardia, Planococcus and Rhodococcus

Arctic bacteria like Agreia, Marinobacter, Pseudo-alteromonas, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter and Shewanella

Degradation of Plastic
Rhodococcus ruber degrades 8% of dry weight of plastic in 30
days in concentrated liquid culture in vitro
Shewanella, Moritella, Psychrobacter and Pseudomonas
Micrococcus, Moraxella, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus and
Staphylococcus were also found to degrade 20% of plastic
Biosurfactant production from Acinetobacter anitratus,
Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Myroides sp., Micrococcus
luteus and V. parahaemolyticus

Factors of Bioremediation

Alternative Bioremediation
Technologies
Nutrient Enrichment
Intended to overcome the chief limitation on
the rate of the natural biodegradation
Most suited of the three approaches as well as
most promising approach for most types of
spills
No indication that fertilizer causing algal
blooms or other significant adverse impacts

 Seeding
Intended to take advantage of the properties of
the most efficient species for degradation
May not be necessary at most sites as in few
locations degrading microbes do not exist
Requirements for successful seeding are more
demanding than those for natural enrichment
In some instances, seeding may help
biodegradation getting started much faster

 Use of GEMs
Probably not needed in most of the cases due
to the availability of naturally occurring
microbes
In some cases, potential use for components
of petroleum not degradable by naturally
occurring microorganisms
Development and use could face major
regulatory hurdles

Pros and Cons

mixed contaminants
lethal by-products
Biofouling
use of recombinant strains is the instability of
the cloned genes in the contaminated
environment due to change of habitat