U.S. EPA bioremediation research programs

This paper reports that bioremediation is one of the most promising technologies on the horizon for more cost-effective cleanup of hazardous wastes. The basic concepts are not new. Bioremedial processes have been recognized and used for many decades. Most notable are the processes involved in wastewater and sewage treatment. In the past, use of innovative remedial techniques was limited. Conventional cleanup methods, such as landfill disposal and incineration, were generally used to manage hazardous wastes. However, the increasing costs associated with traditional technologies, closure of landfills, and more stringent restrictions pertaining to air pollution provided the impetus for developing and utilizing new forms of remedial methods. It was at this point that bioremediation began to receive the serious attention of the environmental community