Progress in biodegradation of low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) cause enormous environmental hazards that threaten human health. Bacterial degradation of PAHs has been extensively studied. Bacteria enhanced their biodegradability through multiple levels of regulatory analysis and adaptive evolution to produce diverse catabolic pathways. Based on recent developments, we address here the research progress in bioremediation technology to degrade low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.