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Bioremediation is another fantastic example of how microbes can help improve human life. As a species, we excel at finding ways to make nature work for us, and microbes are not immune from this. Bioremediation is much a very eco-friendly way to help purify waste water. The enzymes produced by the bacteria are much more natural than man-made chemicals and detergents, and are less likely to cause harm to organisms in the environment. While often the initial human reaction to the word bacteria is thinking of sickness, the vast majority of bacteria on earth are either beneficial or benign.

We can also use bacteria to clean up oil spills. There are certain bacteria that can metabolize petroleum, and use it as a fuel in place of other types of organic hydrocarbons. This is much safer for the ecosystem than introducing large quantities of detergents. The detergents may even be more toxic to some organisms than the oil itself. Even though using bacteria to clean up oil spills sounds like an ideal solution, there are some concerns. Some people argue that introducing a foreign bacterial strain to an area could harm the ecosystem. Indeed, these petroleum-eating bacteria will multiply and become a very large part of the ecosystem as they break down the oil. However, once the oil is gone, the bacteria lose their food source, and their levels will decrease. Another problem with using bacteria to clean up oil spills is that the water temperature must be at a specific range in order for the bacteria to work efficiently. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to control the temperature of the ocean.


Also, I have just one quick correction. Aerobic bioremediation occurs in the presence of oxygen. Anaerobic bioremediation occurs in the absence of oxygen. The original post stated that anaerobic bioremediation occurs in the presence and absence of oxygen.