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BIOREMEDIATION: .OV,ERVIEW .AND WORKPLAN ALTERNATIVES. Years-:of r.esear-ch and 't'housands of applications around the world by government and industry have confirmed that common, non-pathogenicrba'c:te'ria=and fungi are capable of the thoraugh -aerobic degradation .(-mineralization) .of many s anthropogenic compounds- °including- -fuel hydrocarbons , solvents, ..,and some., pesticides. -As' aerobic degradation . ends_ in the formation o.f carbon _dioxide, minerals, And . water, complete destruction -of ,contaminants ifiay.-.be' achieved. - In addition, -biologic-al .d_eto_xification processes :have proven a -:ao be: cost effective=f freque_ tly affording _savings of 30�,- _ or .More; when compared �to other treatment -.and disposal methods . The science upon which .,bi.ological detox fication..is_ based is..:itself.-found upon knowled'ge of °the chemical ,-and physical_ changes that. .o-ccur in compounds °(most often pet,roleum:.axid petroleum -products) which- hive .:entered, the environment. as- pollutants . While changes in the °.composi=tion. of : polluting_ '.hydrocarbon- mixtures .are both-c'hemically and ,b ologica11y Induced, biological--"(microbial ) ::'degradation plays�a major_ role in this process _.(known as-,weaf1 ering) . Although the complete' ..,breakdown .of hydrocarbon materials- into: carbon dioxide, water, -and minerals i5.; theor:etica1ly-- possible °under virtually_:a.11--circumstances_; petroleum hydrocarbons are . very compl-ex=--mixtures 6ontafni ing 'large :number of °alicycl:ic , aroma tic, . and other com:;pouhds : Gasoline, for instance,. may _.. contain 200 such compounds And- crude ' oiU many -thousands . As each.of. these compounds`•`=p�ossess'distinct` physical and _ chemical characteristics they differ--in-their- -capacity to serve a=s microbi�al�'.: substrates (i:'e. be utilized °by, = v - - microorganisms as-. sources.=of carbon' and energy) :within a given environmen:t . . in - addit�_ian', `the physical 'state,. of the pollutants ; environmental' 6"' availability of oxygen 1.and nutrients (,,particular:'ly- nitrogen, phosphorus , pota'ssi.um-, and/oz iron). "sign`if cant°1 y: impact the::rate of- pollutant -degradation. �- C1 early the- .fate' offuel hydrocarbon- contaminant-s within a given -habitat. will depend' on--the s.et,_.of abiotic parameters ..parti-cular t-o that habitat, .fwith.Vthe'.:interact ons of - .