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Actual Problems of Chemistry. Biotechnology. Lecture No. 3. Environmental biotechnology. Bioremediation. Introduction
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Actual Problems of Chemistry
Biotechnology
Lecture No. 3. Environmental biotechnology. Bioremediation
Introduction
The explosive rise of global population has led to the increased exploitation of natural resources and sources to respond to the high demands of the population for food, energy, and all other requirements. Industrial revolution was a response to these requirements; however, it has resulted in the production of huge number of various organic and inorganic chemicals that have directly and indirectly led to the prolonged pollution of the habitats.
The development of multiple human activities (in industry, transport, agriculture, domestic space), the increase in the standard of living and higher consumer demand have amplified pollution of air (with CO2, NOx SO2, greenhouse gasses, particulate matters), water (with chemical and biological pollutants, nutrients, leachate, oil spills), soil (due to the disposal of hazardous waste, spreading of pesticides), the use of disposable goods or non-biodegradable materials, and the lack of proper facilities for waste (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. The spider of environmental pollution due to anthropogenic activities.
In other words, waste generation is a side-effect of consumption and production activities and tends to rise with the level of economic advance. Wastes arise from domestic and industrial activity, e. g. sewage, wastewaters, agriculture and food wastes from processing, wood wastes and an ever-increasing range of toxic industrial chemical products and by-products. In the final assessment, wastes represent the end of the technical and economic life of products. Costs for properly dealing with wastes are escalating and much attention is presently devoted to efficient and effective waste management.
Waste management (or waste disposal) includes the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process and waste-related laws, technologies, economic mechanisms.
Application of rational and consistent waste management practices can yield a range of benefits including:
1. Economic – Improving economic efficiency through the means of resource use, treatment, disposal, and creating markets for recycles can lead to efficient practices in the production and consumption of products and materials resulting in valuable materials being recovered for reuse and the potential for new jobs and new business opportunities.
2. Social – By reducing adverse impacts on health by proper waste management practices, the resulting consequences are more appealing civic communities. Better social advantages can lead to new sources of employment and potentially lifting communities out of poverty especially in some of the developing poorer countries and cities.
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3. Environmental – Reducing or eliminating adverse impacts on the environment through reducing, reusing and recycling, and minimizing resource extraction can result in improved air and water quality and help in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Inter-generational Equity – Following effective waste management practices can provide subsequent generations a more robust economy, a fairer and more inclusive society and a cleaner environment.
Bioremediation is an option included in the waste management. It offers the possibility to destroy or render harmless various contaminants using natural biological activity. As such, it uses relatively low-cost, low-technology techniques, which generally have a high public acceptance and can often be carried out on site. It will not always be suitable, however, as the range of contaminants on which it is effective is limited, the time scales involved are relatively long, and the residual contaminant levels achievable may not always be appropriate. Although the methodologies employed are not technically complex, considerable experience and expertise may be required to design and implement a successful bioremediation program, due to the need to thoroughly assess a site for suitability and to optimize conditions to achieve a satisfactory result.
Techniques are improving as greater knowledge and experience are gained, and there is no doubt that bioremediation has great potential for dealing with certain types of site contamination.
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