HISTORY OF BIOREMEDIATION
600 B.C.: Bioremediation was first documented involving ancient Romans who utilized microorganisms to treat their waste water. This process has since modified and expanded to be able to treat other contaminants a well.
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in 1989 popularized the use of bioremediation as it was used as an oil spill response technology. The history of bioremediation in spill response can be divided into three development periods: the courtship period, the honeymoon period, and the establishment period.
Pre-1989: The courtship period was primarily a research period, as little was known about it outside of the microbiology and hazardous waste community. Several scientific papers on biodegradation were published during this period. At this point, bioremediation had not been applied to any major marine oil spills in the U.S.
1989-1991: The honeymoon period between 1989 and 1991 was when bioremediation gained vast amounts of love and interest. Within a few weeks after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a series studies investigating potential bioremediation techniques to use on oiled shorelines. The honeymoon period ended in late 1990 to 1991 due to the unconfirmed effectiveness of bioremediation application in field tests.
1992-present: The period since 1992 is the establishment period in which bioremediation has gained acceptance with more realistic expectations than the honeymoon period. However, the level of interest has dropped significantly. The uncertainty of the microbial effectiveness inhibit broader use of bioremediation on marine shorelines.
