Biodegradation of biphenyl compounds by soil microbiomes

Abstract

Biphenyls are basically organic compounds which are produced at industrial level as by products. Biphenyls are produced by dealkylation of the toluene. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) is derivative of biphenyl and used in different applications such as the manufacture of oil condensers, plasticizers, dielectrics, and hydraulic fluids. Along with useful products, there are number of organic pollutants productions which are toxic in nature. Polychlorinated biphenyls are not readily broken down in the environment. PCBs are remaining there for longer periods of the time cycling between air, water and soil. The polychlorinated biphenyls are known to inflict serious impacts on the reproductive, immune, nervous, endocrine systems in animals. The polychlorinated biphenyl are also causing cancer.1,2 The microbiomes are ubiquitous in nature and have been reported from extreme environments and well as plant associated. Among microbes from diverse habitats the soil microbiomes play an important role in degradation of PCBs. A number of soil microbiomes have PCBs degrading capability have been isolated and characterized belonging to different genera Williamsia, Trametes, Talaromyces, Stenotrophomonas, Sphingomonas, Sphingobium, Shigella, Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, Paenibacillus, Ochrobactrum, Janthinobacterium, Janibacter, Bacillus, Aspergillus, Arthrobacter and Achromobacter. On review of different research it can be concluded that the soil microbiomes degradating polychlorinated biphenyl belongs to phylum Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Basidiomycota, Bacteroidetes, Ascomycota, Actinobacteria and Euryarchaeota.3