Question

Utilising a living microorganism to break down an environmental pollutant is referred to:

• A. Microremediation
• B. Nanoremediation
• C. Bioremediation
• D. Macroremediation

Hint:

Break the word down: "Bio-" means life or living organisms, and "-remediation" means solving a problem or clean up. Thus, "Bioremediation" is the process of using living organisms to clean up environmental pollutants.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Environmental contamination can be treated using physical, chemical, or biological methods.
Using biological systems — primarily plants, fungi, or microorganisms — to clean up contaminated soil, water, and air is an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Bioremediation is defined as the process of using living organisms, primarily microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi, to degrade, detoxify, or eliminate environmental pollutants.
These microbes use the pollutants (such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, and organic waste) as energy or carbon sources through metabolic pathways, converting harmful substances into non-toxic compounds like carbon dioxide and water.
The other options represent different terms:
- Microremediation is a less common term sometimes used interchangeably with bioremediation, but is not the standard taxonomic term.
- Nanoremediation refers to using engineered nanoparticles to clean up environmental pollutants.
- Macroremediation is not a standard scientific term in environmental biotechnology.
Therefore, the most appropriate and widely used term is bioremediation.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Utilizing a living microorganism to break down an environmental pollutant is termed bioremediation.