Bioremediation

A new concept is bioremediation which becomes recently one of the hottest topics. Here is a beta version of the definition.

Bioremediation defines a soft biotechnological process that consist of using living organisms and microorganic metabolism — earthworms, plants, microbes — to clean up contaminants or remediate contaminated lands, soil, water or air. An increasing number of research shows that bioremediation can  solve an environmental problem such as contamination or air and water pollution. Technologies are classified into two categories: in-situ and ex-situ. In-situ bioremediation treats the contaminated material at the site, while ex-situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated elsewhere. While Bioremediation appears to provide a good method for cleaning up contamination and pollution, it cannot be efficient at sites with high concentrations of chemicals that are toxic to most microorganisms such as cadmium, sodium chloride. Another disadvantage concerns the treatment period: bioremediation requires longer treatment period as compared to other remediation technologies.

Bioremediation opens new perspectives in ecological architecture, ecological urbanism and ecological engineering. An increasing number of design proposals explores the capacity of bioremediation to respond to key issues of contamination of lands and soils and air and water pollution. Yet, questions remain about the efficiency of bioremediation on site in the presence of radioactivity and/or nuclear.

Two articles that I would like to share are: Using Algae for Nuclear Remediation by Blaine Brownell (Architect Magazine) and Organism's ability to distinguish strontium from calcium could help in dealing with nuclear waste by Richard A. Lovett.
Next concept will be phyto-remediation which is closed to bioremediation. This notion will be accompanied with a series of design proposals that give hope to issues such as air and water pollution.

> Landscraping, Phytoremediation, Phytotechnologies, Recombinant, Terraforming