Environmental cleanup technologies like bioremediation can provide long-term solutions to improve the quality of air, water, and land impacted by legacy industrial activities. Read on to explore the benefits of bioremediation and to determine if it is right for your site.
Bioremediation Benefits
What Is Bioremediation?
The EPA explains that bioremediation uses either aerobic or anaerobic micro-organisms to reduce environmental impacts to air, water, and soil. The micro-organisms accomplish this by degrading the chemicals of concern into non-toxic substances over time, using them as an energy source in the process. There are currently three categories of bioremediation techniques:
- In situ land treatment, which applies to impacted soil and groundwater
- Air biofiltration
- Bioreactors, typically used in water treatment
Bioremediation Benefits
What sets bioremediation apart from other remediation techniques? There are several benefits of bioremediation:
- Eco-Friendly: At its core, bioremediation is a means to eliminate harmful environmental impacts. This benefits individual human health, and well as overall environmental systems. Bioremediation helps clean up water sources, create healthier soil, and improve air quality around the globe. But unlike excavation-based remediation processes, which can be disruptive, bioremediation is less intrusive and can facilitate remediation of environmental impacts without damaging delicate ecosystems.
- Cost-Effective: If you are responsible for an area in need of remediation, you know that environmental interventions don’t come cheap. Fortunately, bioremediation can be a highly cost-effective technology. Typically, the cost of treating a hazardous waste site using bioremediation is quite a bit lower than the cost of using conventional treatment methods.
- Scalable: Bioremediation technology is easily scalable, treating a range of areas from small landfills to massive water treatment plants. For example, sewage treatment plants are the largest bioremediation enterprise in the world, with approximately 34 billion gallons of wastewater collected and treated every day in the United States alone. The sheer scale of this enterprise confirms exactly how flexible bioremediation really is.
An Example of Bioremediation Benefits
EWI’s use of bioremediation to treat a site in Missouri is an excellent example of bioremediation’s benefits. EWI implemented a bioremediation remedial approach to treat approximately 6,000 cubic yards of impacted soil and groundwater, related to decades of industrial activities. The bioremediation work was implemented in a challenging urban setting, and resulted in a 95-percent net reduction of chemical concentrations, allowing for the beneficial future use of property in the area.
EWI’s Bioremediation Services
At Environmental Works (EWI), we take a holistic approach to environmental remediation. Our experienced team offers years of expertise in the following remediation services:
- Bioremediation
- Chemical blending with soil
- LNAPL and DNAPL recovery and source removal/excavation
- Soil vapor extraction
- Chemical soil stabilization
- Soil encapsulation
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Ultimately, bioremediation is one of the most flexible, scalable, and cost-effective remediation methods. Firms like Environmental Works can tailor each bioremediation project to meet a site’s specific needs, making this one of the most comprehensive environmental interventions available today.
Do you have questions about bioremediation benefits? Not sure how to move forward with remediation? Give Environmental Works a call. We have in-house experts ready to help. We will walk you through the specifics of your organization’s planning and compliance needs. Additionally, we can explore the ways you can be prepared as bioremediation standards evolve. Our team can also work with you to develop an ongoing plan for your business. When you’re ready, you can contact EWI online or call 877-827-9500 for more information.
