Trends in the Bioremediation of Pharmaceuticals and Other Organic Contaminants Using Native or Genetically Modified Microbial Strains: A Review.

Trends in the Bioremediation of Pharmaceuticals and Other Organic Contaminants Using Native or Genetically Modified Microbial Strains: A Review. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2019 May 27;: Authors: A S P, M C V Abstract Nowadays, numerous synthetic chemicals are extensively produced and consequently used worldwide for many different purposes, such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organic species. The presence of the aforementioned xenobiotic substances not only in various environmental matrices (water, air, and soil), but also in biological tissues (organisms) as well as in several compartments of raw or processed food (of fruit, vegetal, and animal origin), has raised global scientific concerns regarding their potential toxicity towards non target organisms including humans. Additionally, the ability of those persistent organic pollutants to be magnified through the food chain has become a serious health hazard for humankind. Microbial degradation is considered one of the major factors influencing the persistence of those toxicants in each matrix. The technique of bioremediation, either with microorganisms (native or genetically modified) which are applied directly (in a reactor or in situ), or with cell extracts or purified enzymes preparations, is reported as a low cost and potential detoxification technology for the removal of toxic chemicals. After a br...
Source: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Tags: Curr Pharm Biotechnol Source Type: research