Biological approach to oil spills remediation in the soil
Keywords:
Oil spill, bioremediation, phytoremediation, biosurfactants. INTRODUCTION Natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions and erosion, produce pollution, sometimes quite acutely, but the primary environmental concern today is with anthropogenic pollution. S
Abstract
Perhaps there is no any other raw material that has impacted so much, and found wide application on human civilization than petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC). The paradox is that it is this same black goldthat threatens human environment. PHC pollution in the environment, as well as the importance of natural interactions amongst living entities to arrest the problems hitherto caused by oil spills are hereby
examined. Biological approaches to pollution remediation, which include phytoremediation, bioremediation, and application of biosurfactant, are discussed. Two angles of approach to bioremediation of
PHC spills in the soil are identified; the bioaugmentation and biostimulation. The use of surfactants of microbial origin has been found to be environmentally friendly, naturally selective and stable at
elevated temperatures, PH and salt concentration. Similarly, genetic methods have been found to be overwhelmingly promising in detecting as well as assessing PHC soil pollution, and clean up.
Issue
Section
Articles
Copyright for articles published in this journal is retained by the journal.