Microbial Transformation And Degradation Of Toxic Organic Chemicals

Microorganisms offer a more effective and economical means of reducing or eliminating environmental contamination than more traditional treatment methods. This study examines the role of microbes in the degradation of toxic organic chemicals.

Addressing the persistent environmental threat of organic chemicals with a fresh approach to degradation and transformation processes, Environmental Degradation and Transformation of Organic Chemicals examines a wide range of compounds as well as abiotic and microbiological reactions mediated by microorganisms. The book emphasizes the pathways used

Addressing the persistent environmental threat of organic chemicals with a fresh approach to degradation and transformation processes, Organic Chemicals in the Environment: Mechanisms of Degradation and Transformation, Second Edition examines a wide range of compounds as well as abiotic and microbiological reactions mediated by microorganisms

Our interest in the microbial biodegradation of xenobiotics has increased many folds in recent years to find out sustainable ways for environmental cleanup. Bioremediation and biotransformation processes harness the naturally occurring ability of microbes to degrade, transform or accumulate a wide range of organic pollutants. Major methodological breakthroughs in recent years through detailed genomic, metagenomic, proteomic, bioinformatic and other high-throughput analyses of environmentally relevant microorganisms have provided us unprecedented insights into key biodegradative pathways and the ability of organisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The degradation of a wide spectrum of organic pollutants and wastes discharged into the environment by anthropogenic activities is an emerging need today to promote sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Microbial processes play a major role in the removal of recalcitrant compounds taking advantage of the astonishing catabolic versatility of microorganisms to degrade or transform such compounds. New breakthroughs in sequencing, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and imaging are generating vital information which opens a new era providing new insights of metabolic and regulatory networks, as well as clues to the evolution of degradation pathways and to the molecular adaptation strategies to changing environmental conditions. Functional genomic and metagenomic approaches are increasing our understanding of the relative importance of different pathways and regulatory networks to carbon flux in particular environments and for particular compounds. New approaches will certainly accelerate the development of bioremediation technologies and biotransformation processes in coming years for natural attenuation of contaminated environments

Organic Chemicals in the Aquatic Environment draws from the author's experience with a variety of problems dealing with the fate, distribution, and toxicity of organic compounds in the aquatic environment. It discusses the basic issues of chemical analysis, distribution, persistence, and ecotoxicology, with an emphasis on microbial reactions. The necessary input and the difficulties of achieving a rigorous synthesis of the various elements are illustrated with specific examples. The book includes a wide range of structurally diverse compounds as illustration and presents a mechanistic approach to biodegradation and biotransformation. The final chapter addresses the issue of environmental hazard assessment and constructs a strategy for carrying it out.

Environmental problems have become increasingly complex. The procedures for investigating these problems cross the traditional boundaries of organic and analytical chemistry, microbiology and biology. Organic Chemicals: An Environmental Perspective brings together the basic issues of chemical analysis, distribution, persistence, and ecotoxicology. The author illustrates each point with specific examples and presents a mechanistic approach to microbial reactions. Extensive cross referencing between chapters provides cohesion and complete coverage of issues tangential to each topic. The new edition has been extensively revised, and contains a new appendix, a new chapter, plus further revised information throughout the book. In fact, it is a completely new book. A major difficulty in environmental science is that much of the background is widely scattered in the specialized chemical, microbiological, and biological literature. The coverage of all these areas in a single volume, the coherence supplied by the cross references, and the extensive references to the original literature makes Organic Chemicals: An Environmental Perspective a unique resource.

Biodegradation is the break down of organic matter by microbes. Bioremediation is an engineered technique applied by people to clean up organic matter by helping microbes with the biodegradation process. One way of doing that is to introduce oxygen into the subsurface to help more aerobic microbes grow in order to clean up oil in the soil.The potential toxicity (harmful action) inherent in a substance is manifest only when that substance comes in contact with that susceptible living biological system. A chemical normally thought of as "e;harmless"e; will evoke a toxic response if added to a biological system in sufficient amount. The toxic potency of a chemicals is defined by the relationship between dose (the amount) of the chemical and the response that is produced in a biological system. The toxicity of industrial wastes is not often managed and it has caused serious damage to earth and water. The most important aspect of environmental biotechnology is the effective management of hazardous and toxic pollutants (xenobiotics) by bioremediation. The environmental clean-up process through bioremediation can be achieved in two ways-in situ and ex situ bioremediation. The book aims to provide relevant theoretical and practical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in this area, along with case studies. It is written for students, academicians and industry professionals who want to improve their understanding of the strategic role of biodegradation and bioremediation at different levels of the biodegradation and bioremediation research and knowledge, that is, heavy metal pollution, toxicity, remediation methods and strategies to manage the waste in industries, which are a global concern.

Bioremediation which is the use of living organisms such as plants (Phytoremediation) and microbes such as bacteria, algae and fungi (Microbial bioremediation) or their systems to treat the contaminants, is an efficient, eco-friendly and economical novel alternative to conventional treatment technologies. This book would serve to inculcate in the readers, the present status, feasibility, and the significance of microbial bioremediation. The various aspects of bioremediation like biodegradation of contaminants and pollutants, and bioconversion, including the genetics of microbial degradation have been comprehensively discussed, with precise diagrammatic representations which will make the reader appreciate the concepts without impediments.