Cleanup and treatment of hazardous wastes incur major aperational cost
s for the U.S. Air Force. Bioremediation can provide a cost-effective
alternative to traditional technologies for a wide range of natural or
ganic compounds such as jet fuel. Bioventing and natural attenuation a
re emerging as treatments of choice in many instances. Synthetic organ
ic chemicals are much more resistant to biodegradation. However, recen
t advances in biotechnology allow the development of strains able to u
se nitro- and chloro-substituted organic compounds as their sole sourc
e of carbon and energy. Current basic research is focused on expanding
the range of synthetic chemicals amenable to biodegradation. At the s
ame time, development of appropriate bioreactors and models for scale
up are essential for practical application of the technology.