Bioremediation is a rapidly advancing field and the technology has been applied successfully to remediate many contaminated sites. The goal of every soil remediation method is to enhance the degradation, transformation, or detoxification of pollutants and to protect, maintain and sustain environmental quality. Advances in our understanding of the ecology of microbial communities capable of breaking down various pollutants and the molecular and biochemical mechanisms by which biodegradation occurs have helped us in developing practical soil bioremediation strategies. Chapters dealing with the application of biological methods to soil remediation are contributed from experts – authorities in the area of environmental science including microbiology and molecular biology – from academic institutions and industry.

Phytomanagement of Polluted Sites: Market Opportunities in Sustainable Phytoremediation brings together recent and established knowledge on different aspects of phytoremediation, providing this information in a single source that offers a cutting-edge synthesis of scientific and experiential knowledge on industrially contaminated site restoration that is useful for both practitioners and scientists. The book gives interested groups, both non-profit and for-profit, methods to manage dumpsites and other contaminated areas, including tactics on how to mitigate costs and even profit from ecological restoration. - Covers successful examples of turning industrially contaminated sites into ecologically healthy revenue producers - Explores examples of phytomanagement of dumpsites from around the globe - Provides the tools the reader needs to select specific plant species according to site specificity

Biomining is the use of microorganisms in the recovery of metals from ores. During bioleaching, metals such as copper, nickel or zinc are oxidized through microbial action from the water-insoluble sulfide to the soluble sulfate forms. Although gold is inert to microbial action, microbes can also be used in gold recovery from certain types of ores because as they oxidize the ore, they open up its structure, thereby allowing a gold-solubilizing agent such as cyanide to penetrate the ore. The book describes several industrial bioleaching and biooxidation processes as well as the underlying theory and biology of the microbes involved.

Waste management is one of the major challenges for environmental and public health organizations for maintaining safety standards in any area. Population growth and urbanization increase the difficulty in maintaining a sustainable waste management system. Bioremediation refers to the use of living organisms in processes designed to remove toxic chemicals present in waste material. Bioremediation represents a sustainable way to remove a range of environmental pollutants. Bioremediation: Challenges and Advancements covers the subject of bioremediation in eight chapters that focus on a broad range of waste sources, their adverse impacts on the ecosystem, and the advanced strategies for their remediation. Each chapter also highlights the problems encountered in bioremediation processes. Key features: - Comprehensive coverage of bioremediation in 8 reader-friendly chapters - Highlights methods and challenges of bioremediation in one volume. - Introduces the reader to bioremediation - Explains recent biotechnological methods for removing heavy metals and xenobiotic compounds - Describes strategies including physical, chemical, and biological methods to mitigate radioactive waste from contaminated sites and water bodies - Details the use of microbial-aided remediation techniques for the management of biomedical and electronic wastes, and its impact on the ecosystem - Describes bioremediation technologies for decontamination of solid waste pollutants - Showcases the application of Omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to improve bioremediation processes. - Covers bioremediation of agro-wastes - Includes detailed references This book is an informative reference for scholars (researchers, undergraduate and graduate students of environmental sciences, microbiology and biotechnology) professionals (environmental engineers) and researchers, giving each a good understanding of the significance of bioremediation in solid waste management and the restoration of contaminated sites.

Describes harmful elements and their bioremediation techniques for tannery waste, oil spills, wastewater, greenhouse gases, plastic and other wastes. Microenvironmental conditions in soil provide a natural niche for ultra-structures, microbes and microenvironments. The natural biodiversity of these microenvironments is being disturbed by industrialization and the proliferation of urban centers, and synthetic contaminants found in these micro-places are causing stress and instability in the biochemical systems of microbes. The development of new metabolic pathways from intrinsic metabolic cycles facilitate microbial degradation of diverse resistant synthetic compounds present in soil. These are a vital, competent and cost-effective substitute to conventional treatments. Highly developed techniques for bioremediation of these synthetic compounds are increasing and these techniques facilitate the development of a safe environment using renewable biomaterial for removal of toxic heavy metals and xenobiotics. Soil Microenvironment for Bioremediation and Polymer Production consists of 21 chapters by subject matter experts and is divided into four parts: Soil Microenvironment and Biotransformation Mechanisms; Synergistic Effects between Substrates and Microbes; Polyhydroxyalakanoates: Resources, Demands and Sustainability; and Cellulose-Based Biomaterials. This timely and important book highlights Chapters on classical bioremediation approaches and advances in the use of nanoparticles for removal of radioactive waste Discusses the production of applied emerging biopolymers using diverse microorganisms Provides the most innovative practices in the field of bioremediation Explores new techniques that will help to improve biopolymer production from bacteria Provides novel concepts for the most affordable and economic societal benefits.

This book provides a timely review of strategies for coping with polluted ecosystems by employing bacteria, fungi and algae. It presents the vast variety of microbial technologies currently applied in the bioremediation of a variety of anthropogenic toxic chemicals, mining and industrial wastes and other pollutants. Topics covered include: microbe-mineral interactions, biosensors in environmental monitoring, iron-mineral transformation, microbial biosurfactants, bioconversion of cotton gin waste to bioethanol, anaerobe bioleaching and sulfide oxidation. Further chapters discuss the effects of pollution on microbial diversity, as well as the role of microbes in the bioremediation of abandoned mining areas, industrial and horticultural wastes, wastewater and sites polluted with hydrocarbons, heavy metals, manganese and uranium.

Biotechnology of Metals: Principles, Recovery Methods and Environmental Concerns deals with all aspects of metal biotechnology in different areas, such as biogenesis, biomaterials, biomimetic strategies, biohydrometallurgy, mineral biobeneficiation, electrobioleaching, microbial corrosion, human implants, concrete biocorrosion, microbiology of environment pollution, and bioremediation. As the technology of this interdisciplinary science has diversified over the last five years, this book provides a valuable source for scientists and students in a number of disciplines, including geology, chemistry, metallurgy, microbiology, chemical engineering, environment, civil engineering, and biomedical engineering. - Offers comprehensive coverage of an interdisciplinary subject - Outlines the role of microbiology and biotechnology in mining, metallurgy, waste disposal and environmental control - Covers new topics, such as biogenesis, biomaterials processing, the role of micro-organisms in causing corrosion, and much more - Presents scientifically illustrated experimental research methods in metals biotechnology

Microorganisms for Sustainable Environment and Health covers hazardous pollutants released from natural as well as anthropogenic activities and implications on environmental and human health. This book serves as a valuable source of basic knowledge and recent developments in the clean technologies and pollution-associated diseases and abnormalities in the context of microorganisms. Focused on current solutions to various environmental problems in the field of bioremediation, it provides a detailed knowledge on the various types of toxic environmental pollutants discharged from different sources, their toxicological effects in environments, humans, animals and plants as well as their biodegradation and bioremediation approaches. This book helps environmental scientists and microbiologists learn about existing environmental problems and suggests ways to control or contain their effects by employing various treatment approaches. - Provides information on waste treatment approaches using microbes - Includes applications in biofuel and bioenergy production - Covers green belt development, hydroponics, phytoremediation, wetland treatment technology, and common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) - Discusses dissemination of antibiotic resistance among pathogenic microbes and strategies to combat multi-drug resistance (MDR)