Degradation of chloroaromatic compounds

Kaschabek, S. R. Reineke, W. (1992). Maleylacetate reductase of Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 dechlorination of chloromaleylacetates, metabolites in the degradation of chloroaromatic compounds. Archives of Microbiology, 158, 412-17. 

Genthner, B. R. S., Price, W. A. Pritchard, P. H. (1989)- Anaerobic degradation of chloroaromatic compounds in aquatic sediments under a variety of enrichment conditions. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 55, 1466-71. 

Vandenbergh PA, RH Olsen, JE Colaruotolo (1981) Isolation and genetic characterization of bacteria that degrade chloroaromatic compounds. Appl Environ Microbiol 42 737-739. 

Fortunately, some microbial species are capable of degrading such chemicals [124-126]. This ability is used for the development of microbial sensors for chloroaromatic compounds (see Table 12). 

Thus the microbial activity is chiefly responsible for the mineralization of halogenated compounds, which enter into a variety of natural habitats. The toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects of various chlorinated compoxmds make studies of these compounds at various levels, extremely important. As excellent recent reviews on the microbial degradation of halogenated aromatics are available [5-8], a brief description of tiie degradation of some important chloroaromatics, with available enzymological studies, will be presented. 

Photohydrolysis reactions have been extensively studied on chloroaromatics since such procedures are involved in the transformation of many pesticides and herbicides in the environment. In fact, their large use in agriculture causes water pollution and more information on the photochemical behavior of these halo compounds is desirable. In this context, it is important to establish whether the photoproducts formed have themselves an effect on the environment and are more or less persistent than the starting pesticide or whether they undergo deep-seated degradation and mineralization. It is therefore important to understand the mechanism of their transformation and the effect of conditions on them. 

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