1. Decision making — is bioremediation a viable option?
- Author
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S. Fiorenza, C. H. Ward, and K.L. Duston
- Subjects
Pollution ,Environmental Engineering ,Waste management ,Environmental remediation ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Environmental engineering ,Contamination ,Biodegradation ,Incineration ,Bioremediation ,Hazardous waste ,Environmental Chemistry ,Environmental science ,Air stripping ,Waste Management and Disposal ,media_common - Abstract
Bioremediation, as it pertains to hazardous wastes, is a process technology that uses microorganisms to degrade organic chemicals of interest. Often, the biodegradation can occur without transferring the contamination from one part of the environment to another, as is often the case with other remediation methods. Air stripping of contaminated ground water, incineration of contaminated material, and even carbon adsorption all contribute to cross-media pollution by producing hazardous residues, often more concentrated than the original form, that must be disposed. The diversity of bioremediation technologies ensures that one or more of them may be suitable for at least part of a remediation scheme. With our increased understanding of subsurface processes, we are shifting from the treatment of effects, i.e., treatment of contaminated ground water, to the treatment of contaminant sources.
- Published
- 1991
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