Bioremediation is a set of methods that exploit the metabolic capabilities of microorganisms, plants, or their enzymes to transform, detoxify, or remove environmental contaminants from soil, water, sediments, or air. Approaches include intrinsic bioremediation, where indigenous microbes degrade pollutants without intervention, and engineered strategies such as biostimulation (addition of nutrients or electron acceptors) and bioaugmentation (introduction of selected strains or consortia). Target contaminants commonly include hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, heavy metals (via transformation or immobilization), and emerging pollutants, with process design guided by site-specific geochemistry, microbial ecology, and kinetic constraints to achieve regulatory cleanup endpoints.
Every day, millions of liters of polluted water flow through many South African rivers and disappear into the sea.
Environment
Aug 12, 2026
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30
Researchers at the University of Tartu have discovered a mechanism in bacteria that helps them adapt to fluoride, which is toxic to most organisms above relatively low threshold concentrations. Their discovery may represent ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 31, 2026
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10
High nitrogen levels entering downstream waterways can harm fragile ecosystems. Across the world, excess nutrients commonly trigger algae blooms and fish kills in enclosed waterways near intensive horticulture.
Biotechnology
Jul 31, 2026
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30
Ports rank among the most disturbed marine environments. Pollutants like trash, oil and toxins from antifouling paints tend to accumulate in enclosed harbors. Invasive species arriving in ballast water may displace native ...
Ecology
Jul 30, 2026
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38
Ancient single-celled red algae that thrive in scalding, acidic waters are emerging as far more than specialized survivors.
Evolution
Jul 29, 2026
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11
Untreated synthetic dye effluents severely threaten aquatic ecosystems by blocking sunlight, depleting dissolved oxygen and releasing compounds with potential ecological toxicity. Among the various treatment strategies, biological ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 13, 2026
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6
Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), together with Wismut GmbH and scientists from the University of Granada in Spain, have demonstrated for the first time that bacteria can convert uranium dissolved ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 10, 2026
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1615
The ability of bacteria to remove pollutants from soil, water, mine waste and other environments could be supercharged by a "friendly" compatible virus, according to a study led by Flinders University. The new insights, published ...
Ecology
Jun 30, 2026
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10
A "superpowered" fungus engineered at The University of Queensland could be used to extract critical minerals from toxic mining waste while also helping to remediate sites. Environmental engineers at UQ's new Biosustainability ...
Biotechnology
Jun 23, 2026
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11
Chloromethane is a gas that is toxic to humans and contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. It is produced during the combustion of coal, biomass and other raw materials. Natural sources such as algae, plants and ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jun 6, 2026
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21
