The Progress and Prospects of Bioremediation Studies in China
我国生物修复技术的现状与展望

Environmental problems have become a serious concern to human beings. Bioremediation technology is one of the efficient ways to remediate polluted environments and restore the degraded ecological systems, which in turn helps realize the sustainable development of human society. Great progresses have been achieved in China's current research and application on bioremediation, with focus on microbial bioremediation of organic pollutants, phytoremediation of heavy metal contamination, ecological restoration of mining wastelands and garbage filling grounds, reuse of solid wastes and restoration of eutrophic lakes and swamps. A series of breakthrough have been made in screening for both special microbes and hyperaccumulating plant species as candidates for remediation of organic and heavy metal contaminants. Up to 50 of microbes which could efficiently degrade pesticides, petroleum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 12 of hyperaccumulating plants for As, Cd, Mn and Zn have been identified; the mechanisms on the role of bioremediation have been intensively explored. More attention in the future studies for sustainable development of bioremediation should be paid on expanding fields of theoretical studies, developing the related molecular genetic engineering technology, monitoring and conducting risk assessment of environment pollutants as well as building the framework on legislation and standards for ecological restoration.