The diverse metabolic capabilities of microorganisms and their interactions with hazardous organic and inorganic compounds have long been recognized. Microbial processes are environmentally compatible and can be integrated with non-biological processes to detoxify, degrade and immobilize environmental contaminants. Bioremediation, the application of biological methods, has been used successfully for soil remediation. For this volume, a number of experts from universities, government laboratories and industry, share their specialist knowledge in environmental microbiology and biotechnology. Chapters dealing with microbiological, biochemical and molecular aspects of biodegradation and bioremediation cover numerous topics, including: bioavailability, biodegradation of various pollutants, microbial community dynamics, properties and engineering of important biocatalysts, and methods for monitoring bioremediation processes.