FROM THE INTRODUCTION This three-volume series, Bioremediation: Principles and Practice, provides state of the art description of advances in pollution treatment and reduction using biological means; identify and address, at a fundamental level, broad scientific and technological areas that are unique to the subject or theme and that must be understood if advances are to be made; and provide a comprehensive overview of new developments at the regulatory, desk-top, bench-scale, pilot scale, and full-scale levels. The series covers all media-air, water, and soil/sediment-and blends the talents, knowledge, and know-how of academic, industrial, governmental, and international contributors. The series addresses the removal of both hazardous and nonhazardous contaminants from the liquid, solid, and gas phase using biological processes. This includes the biological treatment of wastes of municipal and industrial origin; bioremediation of leachates, soils, and sediments; and biofiltration for contaminated gases.

In situ bioremediationâ€"the use of microorganisms for on-site removal of contaminantsâ€"is potentially cheaper, faster, and safer than conventional cleanup methods. But in situ bioremediation is also clouded in uncertainty, controversy, and mistrust. This volume from the National Research Council provides direction for decisionmakers and offers detailed and readable explanations of: the processes involved in in situ bioremediation, circumstances in which it is best used, and methods of measurement, field testing, and modeling to evaluate the results of bioremediation projects. Bioremediation experts representing academic research, field practice, regulation, and industry provide accessible information and case examples; they explore how in situ bioremediation works, how it has developed since its first commercial use in 1972, and what research and education efforts are recommended for the future. The volume includes a series of perspective papers. The book will be immediately useful to policymakers, regulators, bioremediation practitioners and purchasers, environmental groups, concerned citizens, faculty, and students.

Bioremediation for Environmental Sustainability: Toxicity, Mechanisms of Contaminants Degradation, Detoxification and Challenges introduces pollution and toxicity profiles of various organic and inorganic contaminants, including mechanisms of toxicity, degradation, and detoxification by microbes and plants, and their bioremediation approaches for environmental sustainability. The book also covers many advanced technologies in the field of bioremediation and phytoremediation, including electro-bioremediation, microbial fuel cells, nano-bioremediation, constructed wetlands, phytotechnologies, and many more, which are lacking in other competitive titles existing in the market. The book includes updated information, as well as future directions for research, in the field of bioremediation of industrial wastes. This book is a reference for students, researchers, scientists, and professionals in the fields of microbiology, biotechnology, environmental sciences, eco-toxicology, environmental remediation, and waste management, especially those who aspire to work on the biodegradation and bioremediation of industrial wastes and environmental pollutants for environmental sustainability. Environmental safety and sustainability with rapid industrialization is one of the major challenges worldwide. Industries are the key drivers in the world economy, but these are also the major polluters due to discharge of potentially toxic and hazardous wastes containing various organic and inorganic pollutants, which cause environmental pollution and severe toxic effects in living beings.

FROM THE INTRODUCTION This three-volume set, Bioremediation: Principles and Practice, provides state of the art description of advances in pollution treatment and reduction using biological means; identify and address, at a fundamental level, broad scientific and technological areas that are unique to the subject or theme and that must be understood if advances are to be made; and provide a comprehensive overview of new developments at the regulatory, desk-top, bench-scale, pilot scale, and full-scale levels. The set covers all media-air, water, and soil/sediment-and blends the talents, knowledge, and know-how of academic, industrial, governmental, and international contributors. The set addresses the removal of both hazardous and nonhazardous contaminants from the liquid, solid, and gas phase using biological processes. This includes the biological treatment of wastes of municipal and industrial origin; bioremediation of leachates, soils, and sediments; and biofiltration for contaminated gases.

The huge expansion of the chemical and petroleum industries in the twentieth century has resulted in the production of a vast array of chem ical compounds and materials that have transformed our lives. The associated large-scale manufacturing, processing and handling activi ties have caused a serious deterioration in environmental quality and created threats to human health. These negative impacts have led to responses and regulations requiring remedial action in support of envi ronmental sustainability. of biotechnological methods through bioremediation, Application has gained prominence as an option for soil remediation methods. Bioremediation is a multidisciplinary approach where biologists, chem ists, soil scientists and engineers work as team to develop and imple ment remediation processes. Bioremediation has now been used successfully to remediate many petroleum-contaminated sites. However, there are as yet no commercial technologies commonly used to reme diate the most recalcitrant contaminants. Nevertheless, bioremediation is a rapidly advancing field and new bio-based remedial technologies are continuing to emerge.

Increased industrial and agricultural activity this century has led to vast quantities of the earth's soil and groundwater resources becoming contaminated with hazardous chemicals. Bioremediation provides a technology based on the use of living organisms, usually bacteria and fungi, to remove pollutants from soil and water, preferably in situ. This approach, which is potentially more cost-effective than traditional techniques such as incineration of soils and carbon filtration of water, requires an understanding of how organisms transform chemicals, how they survive in polluted environments and how they should be employed in the field. This book examines these issues for many of the most serious and common environmental contaminants, resulting in a volume which presents the most recent position on the application of bioremediation to the cleanup of polluted soil and water.

Written by leading experts in their respective fields, Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology 3e, provides a comprehensive, balanced introduction to soil microbiology, and captures the rapid advances in the field such as recent discoveries regarding habitats and organisms, microbially mediated transformations, and applied environmental topics. Carefully edited for ease of reading, it aids users by providing an excellent multi-authored reference, the type of book that is continually used in the field. Background information is provided in the first part of the book for ease of comprehension. The following chapters then describe such fundamental topics as soil environment and microbial processes, microbial groups and their interactions, and thoroughly addresses critical nutrient cycles and important environmental and agricultural applications. An excellent textbook and desk reference, Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology, 3e, provides readers with broad, foundational coverage of the vast array of microorganisms that live in soil and the major biogeochemical processes they control. Soil scientists, environmental scientists, and others, including soil health and conservation specialists, will find this material invaluable for understanding the amazingly diverse world of soil microbiology, managing agricultural and environmental systems, and formulating environmental policy. - Includes discussion of major microbial methods, embedded within topical chapters - Includes information boxes and case studies throughout the text to illustrate major concepts and connect fundamental knowledge with potential applications - Study questions at the end of each chapter allow readers to evaluate their understanding of the materials