Chapter 14 - Lipase and lactic acid bacteria for biodegradation and bioremediation

Abstract

Bioremediation is a biotechnological process in which environmental pollutants and solid wastes can be degraded using microbial action to provide a clean free environment without hazards. The process employs microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi for the degradation of wastes. The microbial activity in the bioremediation process degrades the environmental pollutants that are harmful to human health and converts them into less toxic or nontoxic forms. The process mainly focuses on the removal of many types of hazardous materials present in the soil, water, and atmosphere. Microorganisms, especially bacteria, receive great attention in bioremediation as they can mineralize the toxic wastes into other products, such as biomass and water, and make them nonhazardous at times. The activity is not limited only to the degradation of organic wastes, it also degrades crude oil spills in oceans, pesticides, and other industrial wastes. Lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus species are Gram-positive and occur mostly in milk and other such products that are highly useful for the human health. They also provide valuable products in the form of foodstuffs for human. Recent findings have shown that the lactic acid bacteria have a better capability to degrade most of the organic wastes and also other industrial contaminations such as dyes. Bioremediation process itself has different methods, such as biosparging and bioventing, grouped as ex situ methods, in which the degradation of wastes can be possible in bioreactors, while on the other hand, in situ methods take place at the site of the pollution or contamination by the microbial growth.