ABSTRACT
Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms, plants/algae, or enzymes to realize the effective removal of hazardous pollutants from contaminated soil, sediments and water. Many studies have shown that bioremediation has received worldwide attention for cleaning most pollutant types, such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organic solvents. Bioremediation techniques are currently being used to mitigate highly toxic metals, chemicals, effluents and pollutants. Bio-augmentation and bio-stimulation are the two basic forms of bioremediation presently being practiced: the microbiological approach or the microbial ecological approach. Bio-stimulation involves the modification of the environment to stimulate autochthonous bacteria which are capable of biodegrading the pollutant. Microbial biosorption is one of the green technologies for bioremediation of toxic metals. Bioremediation process in which fungi are used to remediate the toxic pollutants from the environment is termed myco-remediation. Plants can stimulate microbial bioactivity in the root zone/rhizosphere by the excretion of bio-enhancing compounds.
