Role of Microbes and Plants in Environmental Remediation

Role of Microbes and Plants in Environmental Remediation. 

All forms of life can be considered as having a potential function in environmental biotech­nology. However, microbes and certain plants are of interest even as normally present in their natural environment or by deliberate introduction. The generic term “microbe” in­cludes prokaryotes (bacteria or arcaea) and eukaryotes (yeasts, fungi, protozoa, and uni­cellular plants, rotifers).

Some of these organ­isms have the ability to degrade most of the hazardous and recalcitrant chemicals, since they have been discovered in unfriendly envi­ronments where the needs for survival affect their structure and metabolic capability.

Mi­croorganisms may live as free individuals or as communities in mixed cultures (consortia), which are of particular interest in many re­levant environmental technologies, like acti­vated sludge or biofilm in wastewater treat­ment.

One of the most significant key aspects in the design of biological wastewater treat­ment systems is the microbial community structures in activated sludge’s, constituted from activated sludge floes, which enclose vari­ous microorganism types.

The role of plants in environmental clean-up is exerted during the oxygenation of a microbe-rich environment, filtration, solid-to­gas conversion or extraction of contaminants. The use of organisms for the removal of con­tamination is based on the concept that all or­ganisms could remove substances from the environment for their own growth and metabo­lism.

1. Bacteria and fungi are very good at degrad­ing complex molecules, and the resultant wastes are generally safe,

2. Protozoa, and

3. Algae and plants proved to be suitable to absorb nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, and many minerals and metals from the envi­ronments.

Micro-organisms used in bioremediation include aerobic (which use free oxygen) and anaerobic. Some have been isolated, selected, mutated and genetically engineered for effec­tive bioremediation capabilities, including the ability to degrade recalcitrant pollutants, gua­rantee better survival and colonization and achieve enhanced rates of degradation in tar­get polluted niches.

They are functional in ac­tivated sludge processes, lagoons and ponds, wetlands, anaerobic wastewater treatment and digestion, bioleaching, phytoremediation, land-farming, slurry reactors, trickling filters.