Bioremediation of chemical spills.

Although microbial processes have been used for decades to destroy industrial and municipal wastes, it has only been within the last ten years that scientists and engineers have seriously examined the use of microorganisms to treat organic contaminants that become entrapped within soils and aquifers (4). The techniques that are now emerging in this area involve the integration of chemical, microbial, geological, and engineering know-how. These methods are now being used to enhance nature’s ability to biodegrade a wide variety of organic materials. In some instances, this involves modification of the microbial environment to accelerate ongoing microbial processes; while in others, preselected microbes are added that have the tolerance or enzymes to degrade the contaminants of concern. Both strategies will be necessary to overcome the many complex matrices of materials that are found currently in our environment.