In this activity, students will learn how living organisms have been used traditionally to process materials or to produce certain products or results. Students will also explore how modern bioengineering techniques have been used to mimic natural processes for the cleanup of sewage, oil spills, and other environmental toxins.
This is one of 4 activities that can be found in PLT’s Exploring Environmental Issues: Focus on Risk Biotechnology Supplement. To get the activity, attend a training or purchase the supplement now from shop.plt.org. Below are some supporting resources for this activity.
STUDENT PAGES 
Download the copyright-free student pages that are included with this activity:
Bioremediation Part A
(PDF)
Bioremediation Part B
(PDF)
Bioremediation Part C
(PDF)
STEM STRATEGIES 
Engage students in real-world applications of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education.
Try these STEM Connections for this PLT activity:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 
The following tools and resources may be used to enhance the activity.
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BioInteractive’s Science Education Resources
At BioInteractive, you can find hundreds of free multimedia resources for science education targeted to a high school and undergraduate audience. Topics range from evolution to ecology, to diversity of organisms and earth and environment, to biotechnology and the scientific process. The resources include apps, animations, videos, interactive tutorials, and virtual labs to help engage students and explain difficult scientific concepts. Videos range from short clips to short films (15 to 30 minutes long) to full-length lectures on a specific topic given by top scientists working at the cutting edge of scientific research—all supplemented by teacher guides and classroom activities.
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Bioremediation
This Powerpoint was created to be used a resource as an introduction to the topic and terms relating to bioremediation.
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Superfund for Students
At this EPA website, students can learn about four different types of hazardous waste (groundwater contamination, surface water contamination, soil contamination, and air contamination) and how to clean up each type. Later, students can test their knowledge of hazardous wastes with the Superfund Scavenger Hunt or Superfund quiz.
