Contemporary Topic: Bioremediation

In the early 19th century, the global population exceeded the threshold of one billion individuals for the first time. Onward, the growth rates have continuously been skyrocketing as Zheng (2021) claims the world population is predicted to be more than nine billion by 2050 and expand to 11.2 billion by 2100 (Zheng, 2021). As a result, the aggressive rise of the world population has been contributing to the surged exploitation of natural resources due to the increased population demands for various requirements. Nevertheless, the hunger to produce food and energy and achieve the importance of teaming the population contributed to the production of massive amounts of organic and inorganic chemicals, which directly and indirectly contributed to extended pollution of the environment. The prolonged pollution has cost the United States over a billion to decontaminate toxic waste via traditional waste disposal methods. This paper reflects on bioremediation as a cost-effective technology to address the issue of pollution, various case studies associated with bioremediation, historical cultural meaning of industrial sites.
Bioremediation is not an upcoming technique, but the capacity to utilize it to our advantage surges as our understanding of underlying microbial reactions is enhanced. George Robinson was behind the invention of this technology in the 1960s. He carried out experiments with microbes sited in a glass jar with pollutants. Robinson attempted to add various forms of bacteria and noticed that some worked to break down the pollutant. He used his findings to find solutions for environmental concerns. Bioremediation demands less resources and energy and does not combine dangerous byproducts as waste. It consists of cost and technical advantages, but it can require more time to carry out as compared to traditional approaches. This process develops a few hazardous byproducts, especially because pollutants and contaminants are turned into harmless gases like carbon dioxide and water (Mitchell, 2022). Finally, this technology is more cost-effective than several cleanup techniques as it does not require significant labor or equipment.
Case Studies of The Topic
Gasworks park: It was a factory. Now, it's a public park.
The iconic Gasworks Park was once an iconic plant energy source for the Seattle region. Unfortunately, By the time it was closed in 1956, several byproducts, such as arsenic, sulphur, and coal, had leaked into the soil. Richard Haag, the landscape architect, described this plant center as an obsolescent, derelict, and industrial wasteland before reopening in 1975. Unfortunately, only a few people understand the level to which the plant is damaged. Alternative to eliminating the polluted sludge and soil from the iconic plant, Haag proposed to rejuvenate the land utilizing a bioremediation method. David Graves, a senior planner, claimed that "the process involved taking biosolids and sawdust and mixing it with kilometric material, spread it around and mounded it up" (Bernhard, 2018). This process would be efficient and effective in cleaning up the iconic plant. The combination of bacteria and air was anticipated to break down the existing pollutants and leave the soil neutral. After operating for over 50 years as a factory, the Seattle Gasworks Company went on a mission to convert it into a park.
Alumni Valley in Wellesley College: People Removed Polluted Soil. Collecting Other Soil and Rescuing It.
Alumni Valley on Wellesley College in MA has been a pastoral glacial valley since it was founded in 1870. However, development decisions during the 20th century, such as establishing a college's physical plant, changed the valley into a "toxic brownfield" full of parking lots. Michael Van Valkenburgh utilized toxin remediation with Wellesley College to rejuvenate the valley hosting the institution's energy plant and developed natural gas propelling positions. Addressing the corrupted soil comprised many approaches, such as eliminating the contaminated soil, covering and accumulating the polluted soil, and looking for a strategy to reclaim it. Restoration of this valley became part of the hydrological system, contributing to the classic Wellesley landscape.
Bioremediation of Heavy Oils in Soil at A Locomotive Maintenance Yard in California
Another insightful case study associated with bioremediation was the bioremediation of heavy oil in soil at California’s locomotive maintenance yard. Operations, general locomotive servicing activities, and refueling led to soil contamination at the yard with a raised concentration of heavy petroleum. The soil was particularly polluted with long-chain alkanes that are harder to biodegrade at greater concentrations. As a result, a cost-effective biological solution was generated and demonstrated at the site. The program involved laboratory treatability research accompanied by a field demonstration. The soil was bio-augmented using a mixture of microbial inocula and inorganic and organic fertilizers. The restoration of this yard proved the capacity of bioremediation to create a sustainable environment for the community.
Historical, Cultural Meaning of Industrial Site
How Some Industrial Sites Might Have Educational/Memorable Meaning?
Some industrial sites tend to be educational, while others have memorable meanings. For instance, at Gasworks Art Park, inner-city families tend to acquire world-class facilities that children need. The park invests in new state-of-the-art facilities that will offer creative space for learners from various schools and provide new performance spaces that the wider community would share. The present facility will solve the theatre and performing arts society's need for more joint performance and rehearsal space. The groundbreaking project of the Gasworks has been renowned for its capability to gather resident backing and change the community's view of post-industrial lands. The region is perceived as innovative due to its recovery of contaminated soil utilizing a bioremediation process. The site substantially represents a magnificent example of urban revitalization. The decaying of this industry at the park's center used to serve as a coal and oil gasification plant, which assisted in powering Seattle from 1906 to 1956. Other Seattleites utilize Gas Works as a center to exercise and touch the grass. Hence, these industrial sites are memorable to some people who visit them.
What We Can Do to Create a Sustainable Future. How It Affects Human Beings
The commercial application of bioremediation currently pays attention to primarily cleaning up petroleum hydrocarbons. However, the full capacity of bioremediation to address contaminated compounds can only be achieved if its application is not surrounded by controversy over its role and how it functions. Therefore, aiding in the best way to evaluate bioremediation would be vital in paving the way for establishing a sustainable future. The principle of bioremediation can be effective for sustainability as the technology can use microorganisms to damage dangerous contaminants or change them into less harmful forms. Microorganisms can conduct almost all detoxification reactions. Nevertheless, enhancing the procedure to achieve a harmless and supportable setting is essential. It is also important to understand novel microbes because they can bioremediate pollutants more effectively than the currently used ones.
In addition, performing more research to invent and innovate faster detection techniques is essential. These techniques would help in revealing the progress or assist in confirming the overall biodegradation of contaminants in the atmosphere. Moreover, bioremediation microbes can be genetically modified to generate more enzymes that foster biodegrading capacity (Ayilara & Babalola, 2023). Besides, combining different microbial consortiums instead of a sole microbial consortium might be an essential tactic for bioremediation in the future. The reason is that it would generate different organisms that use diverse substrates, leading to an increased rate of microbial biodegradation.
Additionally, genetic engineering has an essential role in creating a sustainable future in bioremediation. Usually, able microorganisms are brought about to enhance their cell membrane transportation, backing pollutants' enhanced and spectral degradation (Arora, 2018). Engineering microbes to contain genes for the degradation of numerous components of compound crude oil would be essential. Also, rhizoremediation is another cheap and efficient approach that can improve sustainability in the future. It can be improved to be more useful for remediating contaminated soils by the collective action of plants.
Why It Matters
How Landscape Architects Use Bioremediation to Protect Environment?
Landscape architects play a critical role in protecting the environment by employing bioremediation. Usually, based on the approach used to overhaul land, the process could be expensive and disturbing to the community and ecosystem. Landscape architects employ phytoremediation systems to safeguard the environment. Phytoremediation systems are developed and fitted by remediation experts if the location is envisioned to be industrialized into a gree...