ABSTRACT
This chapter recalls basic definitions and principles of the relatively low-cost biological processes used in bioremediation to remove industrial organic and inorganic pollutants that contaminate the environment (soil, water, and air). The processes in question include (i) phytoremediation, which uses various vascular plants (tracheophytes) and their associated microorganisms for contaminant phytoextraction (extraction of bioavailable contaminants from soils and waters), rhizofiltration (adsorption or precipitation of pollutants at the plant roots), phytostabilization (minimizing the mobility and availability of contaminants in the environment), phytovolatilization (release of contaminants in volatile form), and phytodegradation (breakdown of pollutants through metabolic processes); and (ii) microbial remediation, which makes use of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) for pollutant bioaugmentation (introducing microbial cultures to increase the biodegradation of contaminants), biofiltration (using a biofilter to treat gaseous emissions), biostimulation (stimulating the activity of native microbial populations by providing nutrients and adjusting environmental conditions), composting (fermentation of organic wastes to produce reusable compost in agriculture), and bioleaching (solubilizing heavy metals in oxic or anoxic conditions).
