Role of microbial enzymes in degradation of personal care products present in environmental matrices

Abstract

Personal care products are a prominent in the modern society due to their extensive use by people every day across the globe. They are defined as chemical substances formulated artificially using natural as well as synthetic ingredients with the aim of protecting or enhancing the physical appearance of a person. Personal care products are usually considered similar to pharmaceuticals via the universal term PPCPs (Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products). Despite their relevance, however, PPCPs have been found to contain or produce several harmful chemicals that can cause adverse effects on the environment as well as on the consumers of such products. These harmful substances include heavy metals, such as mercury and chromium, aromatic hydrocarbons such as derivatives of benzene, estrogen and its derivatives, and so on. Such chemicals can give rise to severely harmful health conditions, such as cancer, infertility, and neurotoxic effects. Therefore, there is a need for suitable methods for the removal of such hazardous substances. To achieve this removal, research has been conducted in several study areas. Microorganisms are the major focus of such research since they can produce numerous enzymes that can biodegrade the hazardous chemicals and thus achieve bioremediation or the sequestration of harmful chemical constituents so that they do not adversely affect the consumer or the environment in general. In addition, such enzymes are preferred to physical or chemical alternative methods of removal since enzymes are highly specific and effective and they usually do not produce wastes such as used filters, toxic by-products, and so on. In addition, they can be manufactured on a large scale due to the recombinant DNA technology and genetic engineering. Hence, they can be used extensively without the need for highly elaborate measures of waste collection, treatment, sequestration, removal, and disposal. In addition, enzymes that can biodegrade harmful chemicals were investigated in genera such as Arthrobacter so that remediation of the environment may be achieved.