Bioremediation of Toxic Organic Pollutants Based on Biofilm Immobilized to Agricultural Waste

Inbal Dabush Busheri, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology , Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

Bioremediation use microorganisms to degrade environmental contaminants into less toxic forms.  Trichloroethylene (TCE) and toluene are among the major industrial pollutants due to their frequent presence in waste effluents of many industrial processes. TCE and toluene are toxic to aquatic flora and fauna. Exposure to low levels of toluene can cause fatigue, confusion, and weakness, high levels may even cause death. Several bioremediation methods use a solid matrix for biofilm formation such as polymer membranes, Ca-alginate and activated carbon.

In this research, we have developed a method for improvement the bioremediation process for treating toxic organic contaminated soil. The method is based on agricultural waste, which serves as a carrier for biofilm of toxic organic degrading bacteria. The agricultural waste was pretreated using cold plasma to increase the surface hydrophobicity in attempt to increase the biofilm formation. The biofilm immobilized to agricultural waste used for bioremediation of contaminated water and soil.