Bioremediation of Petroleum Contamination by Microorganisms: Role of Microbial Communities and Applications

Abstract

Petroleum is the major source of energy in different industries and the most frequent contaminant of the environment. As a solution, physicochemical treatments do not have as much interest as before due to harmful consequences and the high cost of the action, which is the reason to turn to better alternatives. Bioremediation is a green technology that uses a wide range of indigenous or exogenous microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, or microbial consortiums, that, based on their enzymatic profile and metabolic capabilities, could be potential candidates for petroleum pollution detoxification through two main approaches: in situ and ex situ bioremediation. Biostimulation and bioaugmentation are examples of in situ approaches, while landfarming and composting are classified as ex situ approaches. Bioremediation, as a bio-based method, is affected by biological and environmental factors, e.g. competition between microorganisms, pH, temperature, concentration of oxygen, and salinity of the contaminated areas. Understanding these factors is a key step to optimizing microbial growth and choosing a proper bio-based method as a cost-effective and safe solution. This chapter discusses bioremediation as one of the promising methods for eliminating petroleum contamination.