Biodegradation of chlorinated compounds - A review

The pressures of an ever-increasing population and industrial development have led to the addition of an array of man-made chemicals in the environment, leading to tremendous deterioration in environmental quality. Contamination of soil, air, water, and food is one of the major problems facing the industrialized world today. Significant regulatory steps have been taken to eliminate or to reduce production and/or release of these chemicals into the environment. A major class of these chemicals is chlorinated compounds, most of which are toxic and hazardous. Application of microbial processes to decontaminate environmental media polluted with these compounds will require a better understanding of why and how microorganisms can degrade them and utilize them for their own survival as well as clean the environment. This review focuses on different microbial processes for biodegradation of chlorinated compounds and enzymes involved therein that are responsible for their degradation.