Abstract
Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one the main pollutants belonging to the high-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs) class and its degradation by microorganisms remains an important strategy for its removal from the environment. Extensive studies have been carried out on the isolation and characterisation of microorganisms that can actively degrade low-molecular-weight PAHs (LMW-PAHs), and to a certain extent, the HMW-PAH pyrene. However, so far, limited work has been carried out on BaP biodegradation. BaP consists of five fused aromatic rings, which confers this compound a high chemical stability, rendering it less amenable to biodegradation. The current review summarizes the emerging reports on BaP biodegradation. More specifically, work carried out on BaP bacterial degradation and current knowledge gaps that limit our understanding of BaP degradation are highlighted. Moreover, new avenues of research on BaP degradation are proposed, specifically in the context of the development of “omics” approaches.
Highlights
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a class of pollutants that are ubiquitous in the environment
A microbial consortium consisted of Ochrobactrum sp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Pseudomonas fluorescens, which was obtained by enrichment culture of sea water samples from China, was shown to degrade various PAHs including BaP [41] (ST20)
In the case of PAHs, this ring opening process will continue in a stepwise fashion, which results in the formation of aliphatic intermediates that will be transformed in Krebs cycle
Summary
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a class of pollutants that are ubiquitous in the environment They are present in crude oil, they contaminate the environment as the result of oil exploitation, transport and refinement. Among the efficient strategies to remove PAHs in general, and BaP in particular, is the use of microbial degradation. This strategy rests on the exploitation of the ability of microorganisms to grow by using pollutants as their source of carbon, leading to partial or complete removal of these pollutants. A careful observation of these reviews shows that most of the reported work has been focused primarily on the biodegradation of PAHs containing two to four fused rings. This review proposes new avenues of research on BaP degradation, in the context of the development of “omics” approaches
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