Chapter 2: Bioaugmentation and biostimulation: strategies in wastewater treatment

The environmental conditions in the stages of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a crucial role in the effectiveness of contaminant removal as well as influence the microbial communities that are pivotal in biological contaminant removal. Bioaugmentation, which involves the addition of a specific microorganism or microbial consortia capable of degrading contaminants in a media, and biostimulation, which involves the modification of the physicochemical treatment environment to create a conducive environment for the microorganisms to proliferate and decontaminate the waste effluents, are promising strategies in wastewater treatment and other biotreatment processes. Individual application of bioaugmentation or biostimulation is often not sufficient to produce the required contaminant removal, leading to the application of the two strategies concurrently. This chapter provides information on the beneficial inherent microbial communities and the role of the application of the bioaugmentation or biostimulation strategies in WWTPs. Information on the relevant biostimulation interventions that can enhance the proliferation and activities of the contaminant-removing microbial communities is discussed. Information on the application of bioaugmentation and biostimulation and the understanding of the gaps existing in the individual application or co-application of the strategies for a sustainable solution to wastewater treatment is provided.