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Challenging Global Waste Management - Bioremediation to Detoxify Asbestos
Shannon L Wallis1, Edward A Emmett2, Robyn Hardy3
1Engineering Pathway, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
Frontiers in Environmental Science
|December 3, 2020
Summary
Managing asbestos waste is a growing global challenge. Bioremediation using microbes and plants offers a low-energy solution for treating asbestos-contaminated soil and creating
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Asbestos use in building materials has created a global legacy of toxic waste.
- Current disposal methods like landfilling are often insecure and costly.
- Physico-chemical treatments are expensive and not aligned with circular economy principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore low-energy bioremediation strategies for asbestos-contaminated soil.
- To investigate the potential of microbial and plant communities in asbestos degradation.
- To introduce the concept of 'activated landfills' for effective asbestos waste management.
Main Methods:
- Case studies illustrating asbestos removal and disposal challenges.
- Review of naturally occurring biological-mediated degradation processes (bioweathering).
- Examination of microbe and plant capabilities in removing iron from asbestos.
Main Results:
- Asbestos contamination generates significant volumes of contaminated soil globally.
- Cost and land availability are key constraints in asbestos waste management.
- Microbial and plant communities show potential in detoxifying asbestos by iron chelation.
Conclusions:
- Bioremediation presents a viable, low-energy alternative to conventional asbestos waste treatment.
- The 'activated landfill' concept offers a novel approach to degrading asbestos waste.
- Further research into biological asbestos degradation is crucial for sustainable management.
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