Review of biological diagnostic tools and their applications in geoenvironmental engineering

Biological diagnostic tools are becoming an increasingly important aspect of geoenvironmental problems. Modern geoenvironmental professionals must be able to both understand and exploit biological processes for a variety of applications, ranging from contaminant biodegradation and removal to evaluation and monitoring of environmental quality in and around landfills and landfill cover systems. Advancements in genetics and environmental measurement have yielded a wealth of sophisticated tools to evaluate biological processes in soils, sediments and groundwater. Successful use of these tools requires a keen understanding of the limitations and advantages offered by each. This paper provides an overview of the currently available biological diagnostic tools with an emphasis on their application in geoenvironmental engineering. Limitations and unresolved challenges in successful applications of these tools are also discussed.