Biodegradation of xenobiotic compounds

Abstract

Environmental pollution with organic xenobiotics (pesticides, pharmaceuticals, petroleum compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) etc.) is a global problem and the development of inventive remediation technologies for the decontamination of impacted soils are of paramount importance. Physical, chemical and biological methods can be used for the remediation of contaminated soils. However, biodegradation has long been recognized as a cost effective method for the decontamination of soil and water resources. A variety of pollutant attenuation mechanisms are possessed by living organisms which makes remediation of contaminated land and water more feasible than physical and chemical remediation. Biodegradation is expected to be the major mechanism of removal of most of chemicals released into the environment by biological activity. The most important organisms in biodegradation are fungi, bacteria and algae. Biodegradable materials degrade into biomass, carbon dioxide and methane.