Question

In bioremediation, scientists often search for indigenous microorganisms. Describe indigenous microorganisms and explain why these microbes are so useful in cleaning up a contaminated site.

Answer 1

Indigenous microorganisms are microbes which are naturally present in an environment. They are involved in nitrogen fixation, biodegradation, bioremediation , improving soil fertility etc.The bioremediation method using microorganisms like bacteria,archaea and fungi is a nature manner of restoration of ecosystem, they can convert harmful pollutants into harmless natural compounds.The major contaminants treated by this method includes oils,hydrocarbons, heavy metals,pesticides ,radioactive materials, dye's and so on.In bioremediation methods they stimulate the microorganisms by providing suitable nutrients ,oxygen and other chemicals to generate energy and to develope more cells, in some cases microbial cultures are directly added to increase the activity (where they don't have enough microbs). Microorganisms growth can also be affected by environmental factors like temperature and pH.

The microorganisms can convert those substances into less toxic or non-toxic components like carbon dioxide and restore the nature surroundings. The major advantage of using microorganisms are due to their rapid growth rate, variable metabolic needs and can be genetically manipulated, they use there enzymatic pathway to degrade the pollutants. Heavy metals are major threads to environment and cannot destroy them easly, microorganisms have methods like methylation to protect themselves from heavy metal toxicity and can convert those into volatile compounds. Hydrocarbons ,oil spils and many more pollutants are removed through this method.