Biodegradation environmental factors affecting

This section focuses on (1) a discussion of the overall process of biodegradation, (2) a review of the different types, aspects and phases of biodegradation of several classes of organic pollutants, (3) an examination of the environmental factors affecting biodegradation and biotransformation mechanisms, and (4) a description of the different biodegradation and biotransformation pathways. 

Heitkamp, M.A. (1988) Environmental and biological factors affecting the biodegradation and detoxification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Diss. Abstr. Int l. B. 48, 1926. 

The duration of acclimation is affected by several environmental factors, such as temperature, pH, aeration status, and nutrients. The concentration of the compound that is being metabolized greatly affects the length of time before a decline in its concentration is detectable. The rate of biodegradation of trace compounds increases with concentration, but because compound loss is usually determined and not C02 or product formation, the low precision of analysis leads to data indicating a longer acclimation at higher concentration [104,106,113,128]. 

The data presented illustrate the need of further studies on the factors affecting biodegradation of environmental persistent chemicals sorbed on sludge and soil nnder both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. 

The main characteristics that determine the level of production of particular surfactants, aside from physico-chemical properties, are cost, availability of raw materials and environmental safety. The latter is characterized primarily by biodegradability, which is defined as the time required to reduce the surfactant concentration in the ambient medium by a given factor [26], The synthesis of surfactants with good biodegradability is an important task, as the environmental issues has become of a major concern. For example, the accumulation of surfactants within the adsorption layers formed in natural water reservoirs affects the life of various living organisms... 

Experimental data reported on biodegradation of polymers are somewhat limited. However, from a consideration of the available data and the characteristics of the biodegradation process, several factors that affect the environmental biodegradability of polymers might be identified. 

Early on, Stokes et al. put forth a desoiption of a failure mechanism affecting polyether PUs under strain, termed environmental stress aacking (ESC) [14], This description implicated factors from the in vivo environment oxidative processes, residual stress, ether content in the soft segment, and the presence of cells associated with the FBR, as well as an unknown biological element Many subsequent studies anbraced the ESC theory and built on it, to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with cleavage of the polymer chains. Anderson s group focused on the oxidative mechanism of ESC and was the first to use inflammatory cells to study the biodegradation of PUs [15],... 

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