What is Bioremediation? How Does it Work?



Before you can understand what bioremediation is and how it works, you must first understand the type of bioremediation that you are interested in learning about. This article will focus on bioremediation as it relates to crime and trauma scene cleanup and will delve deeper into the procedures used within the industry.

What is Bioremediation?

what is bioremediation and how does it work aftermath house with hazard tape

According to Biotechnology Forums, “Bioremediation is the branch of biotechnology which deals with the methods of solving the environmental problems. It also plays vital role in cleaning the environment from pollutants and contaminants by using the microorganisms and fungi.

Bacteria are the most important microbes in this process because they break the dead materials into organic matter and nutrients. It is not necessary that all types of contaminants can be destroyed with bioremediation; heavy metals like lead and cadmium are not the type of contaminants which can be decomposed by the microorganisms. Special type of contaminants like chlorinated pesticides cab easily digested by bacteria. Similarly oil spills can also be cleaned by bacteria.”

In the past, families had limited options when it came to cleaning up after the death of a loved one. In most cases, they had to either clean the site themselves or reach out to friends and neighbors for assistance. On top of that, the safe and thorough cleaning of biological matter requires specialized equipment and training that most people do not possess.

Hiring a bioremediation company will help relieve some of the emotional burden associated with crime scene cleanup and ensure the site is restored to a safe and livable condition.

How Does Bioremediation Work?

A bioremediation company establishes three zones to separate the contaminated area from other parts of the home or building. To do this, technicians use biotape and plastic sheeting.

The 3 zones that a bioremediation company establishes are:

  1. The Control Zone: This is where the majority of the work will take place, as it is the area that has been affected.
  2. The Buffer Zone: This is where the technicians put on personal protective equipment (PPE).
  3. The Clean Zone: This is where the technicians store their equipment to avoid cross contamination.

Next, bioremediation technicians clean, sanitize, and deodorize the affected area.

During the cleaning phase, technicians remove all biological materials, blood, dirt, and chemicals from the contaminated area and dispose of unsalvageable items as medical waste.

During the sanitization phase, technicians spray affected surfaces with a proprietary foam sanitizing agent. After repeating this step 3 times, technicians test the site for living microbes using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) fluorescence testing. ATP fluorescence testing is the same technology that is used in hospitals and food processing facilities to verify sanitation. Technicians continue to test until results return completely sanitary conditions.

During the deodorizing phase, technicians deodorize the site to eliminate the possibility of lingering odors.

For the Bioremediation and Trauma Cleaning Experts, Call Aftermath

Aftermath has almost 20 years of experience in bioremediation and is the only company offering standardized quality assurance from coast to coast. To learn more about bioremediation and how it works, read through some of our blog posts or contact a representative today.

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Sources:

Biotechnology Forums: http://www.biotechnologyforums.com/thread-61.html
EPA: http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/industrial/medical/

HowStuffWorks: http://science.howstuffworks.com/crime-scene-clean-up.htm