Researchers found that adding EPSs from cyanobacteria to wastewaters removes heavy metals such as copper , cadmium and lead . EPSs alone can physically interact with these heavy metals and take them in through biosorption . The efficiency of removal can be optimized by treating the EPSs with different acids or bases first before adding them to the wastewaters . Contaminated soils contain high levels of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ( PAHs ) ; EPSs from two bacteria , '' Zoogloea '' sp. and '' Aspergillus niger '' , are efficient at removing these toxic compounds . EPSs contain enzymes such as oxidoreductase and hydrolase , which are capable of degrading PAHs . The amount of PAHs degradation depends on the concentration of EPSs added to the soil . This method proves to be low cost and highly efficient . In recent years , EPSs from marine bacteria have been found to speed up the cleanup of oil spills . During the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 , these EPS-producing bacteria were able to grow and multiply rapidly . It was later found that their EPSs dissolved the oil and formed oil aggregates on the ocean surface , which sped up the cleaning process . These oil aggregates also provided a valuable source of nutrients for other marine microbial communities . This let scientists modify and optimize the use of EPSs to clean up oil spills
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Extracellular polymeric substance