ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the main aspects and components of bioremediation systems. There are several estimations about the world market for bioremediation, indicating that the most important sector of the bioremediation market is petroleum-contaminated soils and groundwater, resulting from leaking underground storage tanks. The diversity of bioremediation technologies is an indication of the complexity that one encounters when trying to clean soils contaminated with some hazardous organic matter. The successful implementation of bioremediation techniques will involve a multidisciplinary approach requiring knowledge from individuals with expertise in chemistry, microbiology, geology, environmental engineering, chemical engineering, soil science, etc. In order to solve an environmental contamination problem using bioremediation, it is necessary to study three important aspects: microbial systems, type of contaminant and geological and chemical conditions at the contaminated site. Bioremediation technologies offer a cost-efective, permanent solution to clean-up of soils contaminated with xenobiotics compounds.
