Bioremediation of selenium in soil and water

Selenium (Se) contamination of agricultural soils and drainage water in California's San Joaquin Valley has been identified as the cause of death and deformation in migratory waterfowl, Within the last decade, significant research has focused on developing ways of removing Se from impacted soils and waters. Microbially mediated reactions have been identified which may have applications in this regard. These include transformations of soluble, toxic Se oxyanions into less toxic volatile or precipitated forms. This review discusses Se as an environmental contaminant, with emphasis on biotransformations that largely control the behavior of Se in soil/water systems, The major focus is on recent advances related to the development of useful techniques for bioremediation of Se-contaminated soils and water.