By Karina Frost


Environmental destruction and habitat degradation is one of the most urgent issues confronting human civilization today. More than a century of unregulated industrial practices left many areas of the world with regions seriously affected by residual toxins that harm both people and ecosystems. Corporations regularly using and producing similar materials today increasingly rely on bioremediation companies when restoration is required.

Unless a spectacular oil spill at sea occurs, the general public is not always aware of those efforts. Not limited to bodies of water, the process is also commonly used to restore polluted sites above and below ground, and is widely used by transportation and aircraft companies, marine equipment manufacturers, and the food industry. New and more stringent pollution regulations as well as employee health and security concerns encourage its development.

The remediation process uses naturally occurring microorganisms to destroy pollutants by consuming them, leaving behind benign compounds. These creatures thrive on environmental toxins such as petrochemicals, and can transform them into substances including water and carbon dioxide, both necessary for life. While this also occurs naturally, without assistance it takes years rather than months.

To speed up this process in soils and groundwater deposits that lack sufficient microbial populations to accomplish this task without help, the numbers can be artificially boosted by adding them directly in large quantities. To ensure that they grow and reproduce at a maximum pace, enhancements are also commonly added that help keep temperatures or nutrients at levels that are known to promote healthy numbers.

Site workers also assist existing microbial growth by adding soil amendments. These enhancements can range from harmless substances such as molasses or vegetable oils, to chemicals that help produce higher oxygen levels. Amendments can be added via new or existing well bores without contributing to surface damage. They do little to reduce pollution levels on their own, but provide biological support for the bacteria that finish the job.

In areas where addition of amendments is impractical due to climate or topography, soils must be removed, cleaned, and then returned to the original location. This can be done by excavating precise amounts of polluted ground, loading it into tanks or placing it on an above-ground remediation platforms, and then adding the right amendments. After being heated and properly mixed, the microbes do their job more quickly and efficiently.

The time-frame for restoration varies because all sites are unique, having varying depths of groundwater involvement, levels of toxins, and numbers of helpful microorganisms already present in the soil. Although there have been famously disastrous consequences of introducing non-native plants or animals to ecosystems, adding substantial quantities of bacteria poses little threat. After consuming a food source, they simply die.

The surrounding communities also benefit greatly from less disruption due to increased heavy truck use, the noise and visual results of above-ground excavations, and the work that must be done to restore the scars in the landscape. In many cases the affected land can be restored to nearly pristine conditions. Using biological processes is less costly, leaves behind no additional pollution, and has a proven track record of success.




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