Campaigning for bioremediation. [Pencillium citrinum, Acremonium falciforme, Alternaria alternata, Ulocladium tuberculatum, Fusarium sp]

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · CHEMTECH; (United States)

OSTI ID:6592867

Frankenberger, Jr, W T ^[1]; Karlson, U

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1. Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)

Coaxing indigenous soil microorganisms to munch on toxics may prove the only permanent, cost-effective, and safe technique for cleanup of noxious pollutants like selenium, a widespread environmental contaminant in the western United States. The process from innovation in the laboratory to application in the field has taken more than bioremediation know-how. Media exposure and political and bureaucratic support have been necessary partners with sound science to bring Se cleanup technology as far along as it is today. Before describing their patented Se bioremediation process and chronicling the events that led to environmental cleanup in California, the authors give some background about Se, its geochemistry, and its biochemical and environmental behavior. The bioremediation process optimizes field conditions that allow soil fungi to methylate toxic Se compound to dimethylselenide, a non-toxic gas.

• OSTI ID: 6592867
• Journal Information: CHEMTECH; (United States), Vol. 24:11; ISSN 0009-2703
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
BIODEGRADATION
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
DETOXIFICATION
WATER RESERVOIRS
FUNGI
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEDIMENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
PLANTS
SURFACE WATERS
540250* - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)
540350 - Environment
Aquatic- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology