Bioremediation(Michael.Zavagno)

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= Bioremediation =


 * Bioremediation** is the removal of contaminated materials from sites such as water or soil. It is a natural process that uses micro-organisms such as bacteria to break down harmful materials into molecules that are less harmful to the environment. Microorganisms are constantly at work in the environment, but when a pollutant is placed in the area that they are occupying, these microorganisms will begin to work overtime. Some of the microorganisms will be infected by the pollutant and therefore die, but some organisms are able to eat the pollutant and survive. Bioremediation is employed by giving these pollutant-eating organisms oxygen and fertilizer, as well as other things, to allow them to grow and develop faster and therefore break down the pollutant at a faster rate than before.

When is it useful?

 * Bioremediation** is used to clean up hazardous waste sites that are harmful to the environment. Some of the specific areas that bioremediation is attempting to adress is oil spills, areas contaminated by gasoline, and various other toxic leaks. Bioremediation has been used many times to fix problems in our modern world. The more prevalent sites in the United States include Cape Cod, Massachusetts for a sewage effluent, to clean a gasoline contamination in Glloway, New Jersey, in Bemidji, Minnesota for a crude oil spill, and to deal with a fuel leak in Hanahan, South Carolina. The United States has put bioremediation into affect in order to keep our country cleaner, in hopes to keep us safe from phenomena harmful to the environment.

How Does Bioremediation Relate to One or More of the Nutrient Cycles Discussed in Class?
Bioremediation directly relates to the carbon cycle because it breaks up the harmful things in the environment and changes them into CO2. Therefore, the process of bioremediation releases excess CO2 into the atmosphere which directly relates to the carbon cycle. It creates additional CO2 which is then directly related to the carbon cycle.

Is it a viable solution to protect the biosphere?
Yes, bioremediation is indeed a viable option to protect the biosphere. It uses a natural procedure to clean up harmful materials in the environment. By utilizing microorganisms in the environment, it is easy to clean up harmful things such as oil spills in an all natural process. It takes away the need for anything to be disposed in the environment and therefore is protecting the biosphere because there is no need to create a disposal site. The bacteria also work quickly and efficiently so the habitat that is affected by a harmful spill can return to its natural state in a short amount of time. However, things that work in the lab do not always work in real life and therefore bioremediation will not work in every situation. When it is successful, however, it is a viable solution to protect the environment.

What are the possible consequences to the environment?
Bioremediation is a relatively natural process and therefore does not create a very harmful situation for the environment. Bacteria that inhabit the area of the toxic spill are stimulated and therefore the process occurs quickly and easily. However, there is one possible consequence bioremediation can have for the environment. If the bacteria that are stimulated and eat the toxic waste are involved in a food chain, bad things can happen in that area. Consumers will in turn end up with a large amount of toxic material inside of them through consumption. This process is called **bioaccumulation**. =Video=

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This video depicts Terry Hazen, a microbial ecologist from the Berkeley Lab, talking about bioremediation as a whole and why it is successful in nature.

=Sources=

//Bioremediation//. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01840/New%20Page_3.htm

Burgess, Edward, Howard, Libby, Savard, Michelle, & Zider, Jackie. (n.d.). //Bioremediation: Conclusion//. Retrieved from http://www.princeton.edu/~chm333/2004/Bioremediation/Conclusion.htm

Hazen, Terry. (Interviewee). [Video Podcast]. //Bioremediation//. Retrieved from http://videoglossary.lbl.gov/2009/bioremediation/

Symansky, Paul. (2007, March 29). //Health & Science: Bioremediation has few consequences for earth//. Retrieved from http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2007/03/29/Marketplace/Health.Science.Bioremediation.Has.Few.Consequences.For.Earth-2811742.shtml

University, Penn State, & University, Cornell. (2009). //Environmental inquiry//. Retrieved from http://ei.cornell.edu/biodeg/bioremed/

(1994). //Bioremediation Diagram//. Retrieved from http://www.erc.montana.edu/res-lib99-sw/Image_Library/Bioremediation/Images-full/CBE-94_Brm-MMM.jpg

(2005, May 25). //What is Bioremediation//. Retrieved from http://www.bionewsonline.com/w/what_is_bioremediation.htm

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= = = = My page is linked to Matt Pestotnik's page on Electric Cars because both of our processes involve the carbon cycle.