Bioaugmentation vs. Biostimulation

Bioaugmentationnoun

The use of microorganisms to help decompose pollutants

Biostimulationnoun

(biology) The stimulation of a system's existing bacteria such that they can have a remedial action.

Bioaugmentation

Biological augmentation is the addition of archaea or bacterial cultures required to speed up the rate of degradation of a contaminant. Organisms that originate from contaminated areas may already be able to break down waste, but perhaps inefficiently and slowly.

Biostimulation

Biostimulation involves the modification of the environment to stimulate existing bacteria capable of bioremediation. This can be done by addition of various forms of rate limiting nutrients and electron acceptors, such as phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon (e.g.