Bioremediation is the use of living microorganisms to degrade the environmental contaminants into less toxic forms. It uses naturally occurring bacteria and fungi or plants to degrade or detoxify substances hazardous to human health and/or the environment. The microorganisms may be indigenous to a contaminated area or they may be isolated from elsewhere and brought to the contaminated site. Contaminant compounds are transformed by living organisms through reactions that take place as a part of their metabolic processes. Biodegradation of a compound is often a result of the actions of multiple organisms. Bioremediation can be effective only where environmental conditions permit microbial growth and activity. The application often involves the manipulation of environmental parameters to allow microbial growth and degradation to proceed at a faster rate.

Source: ForumIAS