Experiments on Biodegradation and Biotransformation

There are several essentially different kinds of experiments that may be carried out. Two are laboratory-based and two are field investigations  

Laboratory experiments using pure cultures or stable consortia 

Laboratory experiments using communities in microcosms simulating natural systems 

Field experiments in model ecosystems—pools or steams 

Large-scale field experiments under natural conditions 

---

Physical parameters such as temperature, salinity, pH, and oxygen concentration may critically determine the persistence or otherwise of a xenobiotic under natural conditions and these should therefore be critically evaluated. Experiments can be carried out under any of the conditions that simulate the natural environment, and these can be imposed both during isolation of the organisms by enrichment and incorporated into the design of subsequent experiments on biodegradation and biotransformation. In practice, most experiments are carried out with mesophiles and at pH values in the vicinity of pH 7, presumably motivated by the fact that these are — or are assumed to be — prevalent in natural ecosystems. It should also be emphasized that water temperatures during the winter in high latitudes in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are low — probably well under 10°C, so that... 

Although this issue will be discussed in Chapter 5 in the context of the design of laboratory experiments on biodegradation and biotransformation and in... 

---