| Bioremediation is the use of living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to degrade the environmental contaminants into less toxic forms. It uses naturally occurring bacteria and fungi or plants to degrade or detoxify substances hazardous to human health and/or the environment. The contamination of heavy metals to the water and soil are of great concern due to its potential impact on human and animal health. Bioremediation approach is currently applied to contain contaminants in soil, groundwater, surface water and sediments including air. The conventional techniques used for remediation have been to dig up contaminated soil and remove it to a land fill or to cap and contain the contaminated areas of a site. The methods have some drawbacks. Cheaper and effective technologies are needed to protect the precious natural resources and biological lives. The cultivation and harvest of animals to remediate nutrient and pathogenic microorganism pollution in aquatic systems is the most common form of zooremediation. Phytoremediation involves the use of certain plants to cleanup soil and water contaminated with inorganic and/or organics. The phytoremediation technological development has led to plant gene manipulation and soil chelating treatments to facilitate plant uptake of heavy metals, which has improved its acceptance as a remediation tool. Rhizoremediation, which is the most evolved process of bioremediation, involves the removal of specific contaminants from contaminated sites by mutual interaction of plant roots and suitable microbial flora. Constructed wetlands are the result of human skill and technology integrating geology, hydrology and biology. Thus Bioremediation is emerging as an effective, environment friendly and innovative technology for treatment of a wide variety of contaminants in water and soil. |