1

Soil Pollution
• Physical filter: Sieving action
• Chemical filter: adsorption, precipitation and transformation
of chemical substances
• Biological filter: decomposing organic material.

• Composition of soil (COMPONENT %)

Organic mineral matter 45
Organic matter 05
Soil water 25
Soil air 25
 2

Soil Pollution
• The introduction of substances, biological organisms, or energy
into the soil, resulting in a change of the soil quality, which is
likely to affect the normal use of the soil or endangering public
health and the living environment.
08/23/2021 3

Type of contaminants
Bio-degradable
Petroleum products (gas, diesel, fuel oil) •crude oil compounds (benzene,
toluene, xylene, naphthalene) •some pesticides (malathion) some industrial
solvents •coal compounds (phenols, cyanide in coal tars and coke waste)

Partially degradable / Persistent

• TCE (trichlorethane) threat to ground water •PCE (perchloroethane) dry

cleaning solvent •PCB’s (have been degraded in labs, but not in field
work) •Arsenic, Chromium, Selenium

Not degradable / Recalcitrant

• Uranium •Mercury •DDT
08/23/2021 4

Point and diffuse pollution

• Point pollution: storage or disposal of livestock or fowl
waste and agrochemicals

• Diffuse pollution: comes from many fields and not caused

by a single event or action
08/23/2021 5

Status of Soil Contamination In India

• >125 major contaminated sites across the country

• 175 million hectare (out of 329 million ha) are considered
degraded
• > 40 % of chemical fertilizers leached into soil
• 14 States are affected by Fluoride contamination
• > 65 per cent of India’s villages are exposed to residual
pesticides risk
• Heavy metals beyond permissible limits affecting GW of
40 districts from 13 states
08/23/2021 6

Reasons of Soil Pollution

• •Increasing urbanization
• •disposal of untreated wastes
• •Unscientific mining (separation of gold for raw material:
waste product is mud and rubble (fragments of bricks or
stones) which contains high conc. of Mercury)

• •Dumping Industrial Wastes

• •Accidental Pollution/Leakages
••
• •Lack of Designed Engineered Landfills
 wearing level “B" protective gear
Accidental pollution/spillage
• Soil contaminants are
spilled onto the
surface through many
different activities.
• Most of these are the
result of accidents
involving the vehicles
that are transporting
waste material from
site of origin to a
disposal site.
accidents involving vehicles
(automobiles, trucks and
airplanes) not transporting
wastes, but carrying
materials, including fuel,
that when spilled
contaminate the soil.
 9

• direct action of humans pouring potentially toxic materials

(solvents, paints, household cleaning agents, oil, etc.) onto the
soil surface rather than disposing these materials by more
appropriate means.
• m

Illegal dumping also known as

“open dumping”, “fly
dumping”, and “mid-night
dumping”.: disposal of waste
in unauthorized places i.e
along isolated roadsides areas
 in remote areas of the
country.
E.g. large household
appliances, tires, excess
building materials, old
furniture, oil, household
chemicals, and common
household refuse discarded in
open dumps
08/23/2021 11

Sources of soil pollution

• Agricultural activities

• Radioactive pollutants

• Biological agents
• Industrial wastes: industrial waste products

• Urban wastes
08/23/2021 12

Agricultural practices
 • Indiscriminate use of Agrochemicals & Agricultural

 Outdated technology, inadequate treatment and safety

management of chemicals and waste

 Clearing of lands for agriculture (leaching , erosion and

breakdown of organic matter)

 Use of waste water/treated sewage for irrigation (pollution

due to pathogenic mo and organic compounds)
Agricultural practices

• use of agricultural chemicals : pesticides and fertilizers

• Most agricultural chemicals are water-soluble

nitrates and phosphates that are applied to fields,
lawns and gardens to stimulate the growth of crops,
grass and flowers.
 08/23/2021 14

• Intensive low Land rice farming: Increased lead and

cadmium due to application of phosphate fertilizers (which
contain high cd content).

• Commonly used fertilizers

Nitrogenous fertilizers Phosphatic fertilizers Potassic fertilizers

Ammonium chloride Single super phosphate Murate of potash (kcl)

Ammonium sulphate Diammonium phosphate Sulphate of potash (k2so4)
Ammonium nitrate Rock phosphate
Urea CO(NH2)2
Calcium cyanamide
(CACN2)
Anhydrous ammonia
08/23/2021 15

Ammonia volatilization and denitrification cause nitrogen to

be lost from the soil

• Ammonia volatilization occurs when urea is applied and

left on soil surface when soil is alkaline. Urea comes in
contact with water to form ammonium carbonate.

• Denitrification occurs when soil contains nitrate under

anaerobic conditions and produce gaseous N2, N2O and
NO. (which may damage ozone layer in stratosphere.)

• Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers can add to this

problem
08/23/2021 16

• Ammonia and urea containing fertilizers cause acidification

which changes microbial population.

• Excessive Application of fertilizers in band may dehydrate and

kill microbes due to salt effect.

• The over use of NPK fertilizers reduce quantity of vegetables

and crops grown on soil over the years. It also reduces the
protein content of wheat, maize, grams, etc., grown on that soil.
•
• The carbohydrate quality of such crops also gets degraded.
Excess potassium content in soil decreases vitamin C and
carotene content in vegetables and fruits.
08/23/2021 17

• The vegetables and fruits grown on over fertilized soil are more
prone to attacks by insects and disease.

• P fertilizers and Benomyl (fungicide) decreases the population

of mycorrhizal fungi

• Glyphosate stimulates population of fungi and actinomycetes

and rot diseases in crops.
08/23/2021 18

Common pesticides used in agricultural production

Herbicides Pesticides fungicides

Alachlor endosulfan mancozeb
metachlor cypermethrin maneb
Propachlor fenvalerate zineb
Atrazine permethrin ziram
08/23/2021 19
08/23/2021 20

Soil Quality problems related to agricultural activities

• Natural causes:
• Long term leaching
• Microbial respiration

Anthropogenic:
Needle leaf, afforestation, excessive use of inorganic fertilizers, acid deposition from
urban and industrial pollution

• leaching
• Carbonic acid (acids in rainwater) and humic and fulvic acid
(decomposing organic matter)= dissociates into H+ ions +
component ions which attract base cations from the soil exchange
complex

• Leaching of bases is most common where precipitation exceeds

evapotranspiration.
08/23/2021 21

Microbial respiration
• Microbial respiration= CO2 (dissolve in soil water to
form carbonic acid)
• Nitrification: oxidative process of organic decomposition
where NH4+ (ammonium) ions converted to No3 (Nitrate
ions) by nitrifying bacteria, with H+ ions as by product
which displace and attract base cations from the soil
exchange complex leading to soil acidification.
• excessive use of inorganic fertilizers acidify soils through
nitrification
08/23/2021 22

Salinisation () and sodification(addition of

sodium

• Salinisation: accumulation of water-soluble salts in the soil

• E.g. potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+),
chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO4-), carbonate (CO32-),
bicarbonate (HCO3-) and sodium (Na+).

• Sodification: addition of sodium

08/23/2021 23

• Reasons for salinisation:

• Replacement of deep rooted crops e.g. eucalyptus (more
effective in lowering the water table) by shallow rooted
grasses and crops (less effective in lowering the water
table)
• Capillary action is most intense and salinity and sodicity are
greatest in soils where water table is within about 2m of the
surface
• Overwatering (enhances capillary action)
• Salinity enhances soil pH : affects nutrient uptake
• Elevated salt and Na+ highly toxic to many plants e.g.
• Barley, cotton, sugarbeet, bermuda grass has relatively high
tolerance level
• Sugarcane, onion and lettuce, guinea grass has low
tolerance level for salinity
08/23/2021 24

Radioactive pollutants/
• - Radioactive substances resulting from explosions of nuclear testing laboratories and
industries giving rise to nuclear dust radioactive wastes, penetrate the soil and
accumulate giving rise to land/soil pollution.
Ex: Radio nuclides of Radium, Thorium, Uranium, isotopes of Potassium (K-40) and
Carbon (C-14) are commonly found in soil, rock, water and air.

• Explosion of hydrogen weapons and cosmic radiations include neutron, proton

reactions by which Nitrogen (N-15) produces C-14. This C-14 participates in Carbon
metabolism of plants which enters into animals and human beings.

• Radioactive waste contains several radio nuclides such as Strontium 90, Iodine-129,
Cesium-137 and isotopes of Iron which are most injurious. Strontium get deposited in
bones and tissues instead of calcium.

• Nuclear reactors produce waste containing Ruthenium-106, Iodine-131, Barium-140,

Cesium-144 and Lanthanum-140 along with primary nuclides Sr-90 with a half life 28
years and Cs-137 with a half life 30 years. Rain water carries Sr-90 and Cs-137 to be
deposited on the soil where they are held firmly with the soil particles by electrostatic
forces. All the radio nuclides deposited on the soil emit gamma radiations.
08/23/2021 25

Biological agents
• – Soil gets a large amount of human, animal and bird
excreta which constitute a major source of land pollution
by biological agents.
• Ex: 1. Heavy application of manures and digested sludge
can cause serious damage to plants within a few years
 26

Industrial and Urban waste

• Industrial waste products may be in gas, liquid or solid

form
• Gaseous: carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide
• (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide produced
by combustion in industry and by automobiles

• Food processing plants produce both liquid and solid

wastes.
• municipal garbage made up of materials discarded by
homes and industry e.g. paper, plastic and organic
materials
• Sewage sludge is the product of treatment plants
 Seattle, WA

Fate of soil pollutants

• When any liquid pollutant is on or just
below the ground surface for any
period of time, one of three things
could happen to it, if it is not cleaned
up first.
• 1- pollutant might be washed away by
precipitation, causing little or no harm
to the ground on which it was found.
• pollutants will simply accumulate Waco, Tx
somewhere else)
• 2- the pollutant, if
volatile, could evaporate,
again causing little harm
to the soil (however, not
a solution to the bigger
pollution problem, as it
might become a source of
air pollution).

• 3- pollutant could
infiltrate through the
unsaturated soil, in much
the same way as ground
water.
 29

Effects of soil pollution

• Reduced soil fertility
• • Reduced nitrogen fixation
• • Increased erodibility
• • Larger loss of soil and nutrients
• • Deposition of silt in tanks and reservoirs
• • Reduced crop yield
• • Imbalance in soil fauna and flora
 30

• pollution runs off into rivers and kills the fish, plants and other
aquatic life
• • crops and fodder grown on polluted soil may pass the pollutants
on to the consumers
• • polluted soil may no longer grow crops and fodder
• • Soil structure is damaged (clay ionic structure impaired)
• • corrosion of foundations and pipelines
• • impairs soil stability
• • may release vapours and hydrocarbon into buildings and cellars
• • may create toxic dusts
• • may poison children playing in the area
 31

• Changes in Soil Structure: The death of many soil

organisms (e.g. earthworms) in the soil can lead to
alteration in soil structure. Apart from that, it could also
force other predators to move to other places in search of
food
• Decreased Soil Fertility: The toxic chemicals present in
the soil can decrease soil fertility and therefore decrease in
the soil yield. The contaminated soil is then used to
produce fruits and vegetables which lacks quality nutrients
and may contain some poisonous substance to cause
serious health problems in people consuming them
 32

• Effect on Growth of Plants

• Effect on Health of Humans

08/23/2021 33
 34

Soil Pollution control

• Transfer of contaminated solid wastes or for utilization of
the waste removed.
• •Capping the waste in a secured landfill (SLF).
• •Confinement of the contaminated area by concrete / and
capping.
• •Contaminated soil excavation, soil washing and refilling.
• •Physical and chemical remediation techniques like Soil
vapour extraction, pump & treat, chemical precipitation etc.
• •Bioremediation of contaminated sites.
 35

• Remediation procedures

• Incineration: small volumes of polluted soil, combustible

waste, organic materials converted to mostly CO2 and
H2O though CO, Nox, SO2 and Cl compounds released in
small amounts.
• Materials containing large amount of Heavy metals should
not be incinerated as they may volatiize as air pollutants.

• Soil organic matter and soil structure are destroyed in this

process
 36

• Pyrolysis an alternative to incineration

• Pyrolysis is a process of combustion in absence of oxygen or

the material burnt under controlled atmosphere of oxygen.
The gas and liquid obtained can be used as fuels.
• Pyrolysis of carbonaceous wastes like firewood, coconut,
palm waste, corn combs, cashew shell, rice husk paddy straw
and saw dust, yields charcoal along with products like tar,
methyl alcohol, acetic acid, acetone and a fuel gas.
 37

• Anaerobic/aerobic decomposition of biodegradable municipal and

domestic waste is also being done and gives organic manure.
• Cow dung which releases methane into the atmosphere, should be
processed further in 'gobar gas plants' to produce 'gobar gas' and
good manure.
 38

Chemical treatment
• Removal of heavy metals from soil

• Acid leaching: Expensive, acid leachate formed should be

properly disposed
• Liming: Cheap

• Supercritical fluid extraction (SPE): small scale (5 kg soil),

Supercritical fluids are potent solvents which extract out all
types of organic pollutants
 Bioremediation
A treatment process that uses microorganisms (yeast, fungi, or bacteria) to break
down, or degrade, hazardous substances into less toxic or nontoxic substances (carbon
dioxide and water) or use o0f plants for extraction of contaminants.
Affect of soil pH on adsorption of 4 heavy metals

Pb
Adsorption high = Good

Cu

Zn

Adsorption low
is not good Cd

3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7.0

Soil pH
 08/23/2021 41

BIOREMEDIATION

Use of Microorganisms

Use of plants
08/23/2021 42

Bioremediation mediated biodegradation

1. Microorganisms – easy to handle.

2. Plants – easy to grow.
08/23/2021 43

Enzymatic processes in bioremediation

• Major types of reactions
• Oxidation.
• Decarboxylation in which the -CO2H is replaced with an H atom or –OH
group.
• Hydrolysis which involves the addition of H2O to a molecule accompanied
by cleavage of the molecule into two species.
• Substitution in which one group of atom is replaced by another (such as OH
for Cl- ).
• Elimination whereby atoms or group of atoms are removed from adjacent
carbon atoms, which remained joined by a double bond.
• Reduction, dehalogenation , demethylation, deamination, condensation, in
which two smaller molecules are joined to produce a larger one: conversion
of one isomer of a compound to another with a same molecular formula but
different structure ; conjugation; ring cleavage.

(Marshall, F. M., 2009)

 08/23/2021 44

• Aerobic bacteria:
Microorganisms
• Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, Sphingomonas, Rhodococcus, and Mycobacterium.
• degrade pesticides and hydrocarbons; alkanes and polyaromatics.
• May be able to use the contaminant as sole source of carbon and energy.

• Methanotrophs:
• Aerobic bacteria that utilize methane for carbon and energy.
• Methane monooxygenase has a broad substrate range.
• active against a wide range of compounds (e.g. chlorinated aliphatics such as
trichloroethylene and 1,2-dichloroethane)

• Anaerobic bacteria:
• Not used as frequently as aerobic bacteria.
• Can often be applied to bioremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in
river sediments, trichloroethylene (TCE) and chloroform.

• Fungi:
• Able to degrade a diverse range of persistent or toxic environmental pollutants.
(Bodishbaugh, D.F., 2006)
08/23/2021 45

Bioremediation Strategies

(Barathi S and Vasudevan N, 2001)

08/23/2021 46

In Situ Bioremediation
 In situ bioremediation is when the contaminated site is cleaned

up exactly where it occurred. There is no need to excavate or

remove soils or water
 In situ biodegradation involves supplying oxygen and nutrients

by circulating aqueous solutions through contaminated soils to

stimulate naturally occurring bacteria to degrade organic
contaminants. It can be used for soil and groundwater.
 It is the most commonly used type of bioremediation because it

is the cheapest and most efficient, so it’s generally better to use.

(Wood TK , 2008)
08/23/2021 47

Types of In situ Bioremediation

2 types

Engineered Bioremediation
 Intentional changes Doing nothing

Intrinsic Bioremediation
 Simply allow biodegradation to
occur under natural conditions

(Wood TK , 2008)
 08/23/2021 48

Intrinsic Bioremediation
- a bioremediation under natural conditions

• Intrinsic bioremediation uses

microorganisms already present in
the environment to biodegrade
harmful contaminant. There is no
human intervention it is the
cheapest means of
bioremediation , most commonly
used.
 Engineered Bioremediation
 Introduction of certain microorganisms to the site of
contamination.
 Engineered in situ bioremediation accelerates the degradation

process by enhancing the physicochemical conditions to

encourage the growth of microorganisms.

(Barathi S, Vasudevan N., 2001)

 08/23/2021 50

In situ Engineered bioremediation types

Bioventing
involves supplying air and nutrients through wells to
contaminated soil to stimulate the indigenous bacteria.

(Vidali,M., 2001)
 08/23/2021 51

Biosparging

involves the injection of air under pressure below the water

table to increase groundwater oxygen concentrations and
enhance the rate of biological degradation of contaminants by
naturally occurring bacteria.

(Vidali,M.2001)
 08/23/2021 52
• Bioaugmentation
involves practice of adding specialized microbes or their enzyme
preparation to polluted sites to accumulate transformation or
stabilization of specific pollutants.

(Rittmann B.E and McCarty, P.L. 2001)

 08/23/2021 53

Solid phase system Ex Situ Bioremediation

Composting is a technique that involves combining contaminated soil
with organic compounds such as agricultural wastes.
The presence of these organic materials supports the development of a rich
microbial population and elevated temperature characteristic of composting.
 08/23/2021 54

Land farming Operation

Land farming is a simple technique in which contaminated soil is excavated and spread
over a prepared bed and periodically tilled until pollutants are degraded. The practice is
limited to the treatment of superficial 10–35 cm of soil.

(Rittmann, B.E and McCarty, P.L, 2001)

08/23/2021 55

Biopile System
Biopiles are a hybrid of land farming and composting. Essentially, engineered
cells are constructed as aerated composted piles. Typically used for treatment
of surface contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons they are a refined
version of land farming that tend to control physical losses of the
contaminants by leaching and volatilization. Biopiles provide a favorable
environment for indigenous aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms.

(Rittmann,B.E and McCarty,P.L.2001)

08/23/2021 56

Bioremediation using bioreactor System

(Rittmann,B.E and McCarty,P.L.2001)

Slurry, Solid Phase, & Land Applied
 08/23/2021 58

Oil degradation
Pseudomonas putida capable of consuming oil
Use of bioremediation strategies over different years by developed
countries ( in percent)

80

70

60

50

40

30

20
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
08/23/2021 59
08/23/2021 60

PHYTOREMEDIAT
ION
 08/23/2021 61

Phytoremediation use of living green plants

5 mechanisms based on the fate of contaminants

5
1
4
2 3

Rhizofiltration
Phytoextraction

Phytovolatilization Rhizodegradation

Phytostabilization
 08/23/2021 62

Phytoextraction
 Plant roots uptake metal contaminants from
the soil and translocate them to their above
soil tissues.
 Once the plants have grown and absorbed the
metal pollutants they are harvested and
disposed off safely.
 This process is repeated several times to
reduce contamination to acceptable levels.
 Hyper accumulator plant species are used on
many sites due to their tolerance of relatively
extreme levels of pollution.
 Avena sp. , Brassica sp.
Contaminants removed:
 Metal compounds that have been successfully
phytoextracted include zinc, copper, and
nickel.
 08/23/2021 63

Rhizofiltration
It is concerned with the remediation of contaminated groundwater.
The contaminants are either adsorbed onto the root surface or are absorbed by
the plant roots.
●
● Plants
Plants are
are hydroponically
hydroponically growngrown in
in clean
clean water
water
1 rather
rather than
than soil,
soil, until
until aa large
large root
root system
system has
has
developed
developed

●
● Water
Water supply
supply is
is substituted
substituted for
for aa polluted
polluted
2 water
water supply
supply to
to acclimatize
acclimatize the
the plant
plant

●
● They
They are
are planted
planted in
in the
the polluted
polluted area
area where
where the
the
3 roots uptake the polluted water and the
roots uptake the polluted water and the
contaminants
contaminants along
along with
with itit

●
● As the roots
roots become
become saturated they
they
4
are
are harvested and disposed
disposed of safely
08/23/2021 64

Phytostabilisation
To immobilize soil and water contaminants from migration.
Mechanism
Phytochemical complexation in the root zone – precipitation
Examples:
Transfer of human MT-2 gene to tobacco (Nicotiana sp.) resulted in
transgenic plant with enhanced Cd tolerance and stabilisation. (Eapen et al.
2006)
Transfer of yeast CUPl gene in cauliflower (Brassica sp.) resulted in 16-
fold higher accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in the transgenic cauliflower.
(Sriprang, 2006)
08/23/2021 65

Phytodegradation
It is the degradation or breakdown of organic contaminants by
internal and external metabolic processes driven by the plant. 

Mechanisms:
Plant enzymatic activity:
oxygenases- hydrocarbons degradation.
nitroreductases- explosives degradation.

Used in breakdown of ammunition wastes, chlorinated solvents

such as TCE (Trichloroethane), degradation of organic
herbicides.
08/23/2021 66

Cont. 1. Transfer of pea MT gene in

Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in
enhanced copper degradation in the
transgenic A. thaliana. (Murooka,
2006).
2. Enzyme bacterial mercuric ion
reductase has been engineered into
Arabidopsis thaliana and the
resulting transformant transgenic
plant is capable of degrading and
volatalising mercuric ions.
(Cunningham and Owe, 2009)

(Source: https://www.google.co.in/search?
 08/23/2021 67

Rhizodegradation
 It is the breakdown of organic contaminants in the soil by soil dwelling
microbes which is enhanced by the rhizosphere’s presence.
 Rhizosphere = soil + root + microbes
 Symbiotic relation
 Also called:
Enhanced rhizosphere biodegradation
Phytostimulation
Plant assisted bioremediation
 Sugars, alcohols and organic acids act as carbohydrate sources for the soil
microflora and enhance microbial growth and activity.
 Act as signals for certain microbes.
 The roots also loosen the soil and transport water to the rhizosphere thus
enhancing microbial activity.
 Digest organic pollutants such as fuels and solvents, producing harmless
products.
 Case study of symbiotic engineering
A genetically engineered rhizobium bacteria has been suggested by (Sriprang
et al., 2010).
Rhizobium grow slowly for long times in soil, but if they infect a compatible
legume they grow rapidly.
This special feature of symbiotic relationship gives clue for biotechnological
transfer and expression of MT (metallothionein) genes that sequester heavy
metals from contaminated soil.
Once symbiosis with MT genes is established with legumes, the heavy metals
starts accumulating in the nodules.
Good alternative and more cost-effective method to remove heavy metals
from soil.
08/23/2021 68
08/23/2021 69

Phytovolatilization
Plants uptake contaminants which are water
soluble and release them into the atmosphere as
they transpire the water.

Poplar trees volatilize up to 90% of the TCE they

absorb. 
Selenium and Mercury - Arabidopsis thaliana L.
and tobacco.
 08/23/2021 70

Wonder species of transgenic yellow poplar

Five years old popular transpire about 100 liters of water daily and act as a
good clarifier.

The genes MerA and MerB were isolated from mercury resistant bacteria
which synthesizes the enzymes mercuric iron reductase and incorporated into
popular to make it transgenic.

The transgenic poplar with these genes released 50 times more elemental
mercury (Hg) than the untransformed plantlets.

Transgenic plants were significantly more tolerant to methyl mercury and

other organo-mercurials compared to the untransformed plants.
 08/23/2021 71

Plant species identified for phytoremediation of heavy metals

Plant Species Accumulation rates (in Heavy A-Accumulator P-
mg/kg) /d.w. metals Precipitator T-Tolerant

Barley 1000
Al A, P, T

Vicia faba 100 Al A, P

Indian Mustard 1000-1200 Ag P, T

Sunflower 150 Cr A, P, T
Popular 1500 Ni A, P, T, H
T, H
Tomato 550 Mn

Brassica napus 800 Hg P, T, H

Spanich 750 Pb P, T, H
Salix sp. 1800 Se A, P
Trifolium Red Clover 650 Zn T, H
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hyperaccumulators)
 08/23/2021 72

Disadvantages of bioremediation

The process of bioremediation is slow. Time required is in day to

months.

Heavy metals are not removed completely.

For in situ bioremediation site must have soil with high

permeability.

It does not remove all quantities of contaminants.

08/23/2021 73

Disadvantages cont.

Lab strains become food source for soil protozoa.

Inability of GEMs to contact the compounds to be degraded.
Failure of GEMs to survive/compete indigenous
microorganisms.
Contaminant solubility may be increased leading to greater
environmental damage and the possibility of leaching.
A stronger scientific base is required for rational designing of
process and success.
08/23/2021 74

Disadvantages cont.
Growing conditions required by the plant (i.e., Climate, geology,
altitude, temperature).
Tolerance of the plant to the pollutant.
Contaminants collected in ageing tissues may be released back into
the environment in autumn.
Contaminants may be collected in woody tissues used as fuel.

Time taken to remediate sites far exceeds that of other technologies.

08/23/2021 75

Conventional Methods Vs Bioremediation Conventional Methods

• •Costly
• •Create new waste
• •Does not eliminate problems
• •Low public acceptance

• Bioremediation technology
• •Cost-effective
• •Eliminate problem to a greater extant
• •Generate no or low waste
• •High Public acceptance
 08/23/2021 76

Bioremediation of Oily Sludge in a Sludge PIT at Refinery

Before bioremediation of oily sludge

After two months of bioremediation
of oily sludge
08/23/2021 77

Bioremediation of oil spill site by Oil zapper oil field

After bioremediation
Before bioremediation
 08/23/2021 78

Trichoderma: Application in Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon Polluted soil

Mass multiplication of Trichoderma for

Bioinoculant application
 08/23/2021 79

Other control strategies

• Proper dumping of unwanted materials: Excess wastes by man and animals pose a
disposal problem. Open dumping is the most commonly practiced technique. Nowadays,
controlled tipping is followed for solid waste disposal. The surface so obtained is used for
housing or sports field.
• Production of natural fertilizers: Bio-pesticides should be used in place of toxic chemical
pesticides. Organic fertilizers should be used in place of synthesized chemical fertilizers. Ex:
Organic wastes in animal dung may be used to prepare compost manure instead of
throwing them wastefully and polluting the soil.
• Proper hygienic condition: People should be trained regarding sanitary habits.
• Ex: Lavatories should be equipped with quick and effective disposal methods.
• Public awareness: Informal and formal public awareness programs should be imparted to
educate people on health hazards by environmental education.
• Ex: Mass media, Educational institutions and voluntary agencies can achieve this.
• Recycling and Reuse of wastes: To minimize soil pollution, the wastes such as paper,
plastics, metals, glasses, organics, petroleum products and industrial effluents etc should be
recycled and reused.
• Ex: Industrial wastes should be properly treated at source. Integrated waste treatment
methods should be adopted.
• Ban on Toxic chemicals: Ban should be imposed on chemicals and pesticides like DDT,
BHC, etc which are fatal to plants and animals. Nuclear explosions and improper disposal of
radioactive wastes should be banned.
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•
Recycling paper, plastics and other materials. recovery of one
tonne of paper can save 17 trees.

• Ban on use of plastic bags, which are a major cause of

pollution. 

• Reusing materials.

• Avoiding deforestation and promoting forestation.

• Suitable and safe disposal of wastes including nuclear wastes. 

Crop rotation or mixed cropping can improve the fertility