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XENOBIOTICS
HYDROCARBONS, PLASTICS &
PESTICIDES
DONE BY
SUSHMITA PRADHAN
II SEM M.Sc Microbiology
XENOBIOTICS
It is derived from a greek word XENOS meaning foreign or strange.
2. Plastic industry :
- closely related to the petrochemical industry
- uses a number of complex organic compounds
-such as anti-oxidants, plasticizers, cross-linking agents
3. Pesticide industry :
- most commonly found.
-structures are benzene and benzene derivatives,
4. Paint industry :
- major ingredient are solvents,
- xylene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl
5. Others :
- Electronic industry, Textile industry, Pulp and Paper industry,
Cosmetics and Pharmaceutical industry, Wood preservation
BIODEGRADATION OF PESTICIDES
Pesticides are substances meant for destroying or mitigating any pest.
b) Degradation:
Breakdown or transformation of a complex substrate into
simpler products leading to mineralization.
E.g. Thirum (fungicide) is degraded by a strain of
Pseudomonas and the degradation products are dimethylamine,
proteins, sulpholipids, etc (Raghu et al., 1975).
c) Conjugation (complex formation or addition reaction):
An organism makes the substrate more complex or combines the pesticide
with cell metabolites.
Deamination- fluchloralin
Polymeric Chains is broken down into constituent parts for the energy potential
by microorganisms. Monomers are readily available to other bacteria and is used.
ACIDOGENESIS-
This results in further breakdown of the remaining components by acidogenic
(fermentative) bacteria into ammonia, ethanol, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen
sulfide. E.g Streptococcus acidophilus.
ACETOGENESIS-
Simple molecules created through the acidogenesis phase are further
digested by Acetogens to produce largely acetic acid, as well as carbon
dioxide and hydrogen.
METHANOGENESIS-
Here, methanogens use the intermediate products of the preceding stages
and convert them into methane, carbon dioxide, and water.
Methanogenesis is sensitive to both high and low pHs and occurs between
pH 6.5 and pH 8. The remaining, indigestible material the microbes cannot
use and any dead bacterial remains constitute the digestate.
Some of the microorganism that can degrade plastics are:-
Aliphatic Polyesters
PolyEthylene Adipate (PEA)- lipases from R. arrizus, R. delemar, Achromobacter sp.
and Candida cylindracea
Aromatic Polyesters
Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate (PHB) estereases from Pseudomonas
lemoigne, Comamonas sp. Acidovorax faecalis, Aspergillus fumigatus
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2) under nitrate-reducing condition : Nitrate-reducing bacteria
couple the oxidation of organic compound with water to the
exergonic reduction of nitrate via nitrite to N2..
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Some microorganisms involved in the biodegradation of
hydrocarbons
plasmid-borne
PLASMID SUBSTRATE
Most bacteria have been found to oxygenate the PAH initially to form
dihydrodiol with a cis-configuration, which can be further oxidized to
catechols.
26
Compound Organisms Metabolite
Fluoranthene Alcaligenes denitrificans , 7- Acenaphthenone, 1- acenaphthenone,
Mycobacterium sp. , 7- hydroxyacenaphthylene, benzoic acid,
Pseudomonas putida , phenylacetic acid, adipic acid,
Pseudomonas paucimobilis, 3- hydroxymethyl 4,5- benzocoumarin,
Pseudomonas cepacia , 9- fluorenone 1 carboxylic acid,
Rhodococcus sp. 8- hydroxy 7- methoxyfluoranthene,
9- hydroxyfluorene , 9- fluorenone,
phthalic acid, 2- carboxybenzaldehyde
Pyrene Alcaligenes denitrificans , Pyrene cis - and trans - 4,5 dihydrodiol,
Mycobacterium sp. , 4 hydroxyperinaphthenone, phthalic acid, 4-
Rhodococcus sp. phenanthroic acid, 1,2 - and 4,5
dihydroxypyrene, cinnamic acid, cis 2
hydroxy 3 ( perinaphthenone -9-yl ) propenic
acid
Chrysene Rhodococcus sp. None determined
Benz [a] Alcaligenes denitrificans , Benz [a] anthracene cis 1,2, cis- 8,9-, and cis
anthracene Beijerinckia sp. , 10,11- dihydrodiols, 1- hydroxy 2
Pseudomonas putida anthranoic acid, 2- hydroxy 3 phenanthroic
acid, 3- hydroxy 2 phenanthroic acid .
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Benz [a] Beijerinckia sp., Benz [a] pyrene cis -7,8 - and cis -9,10
pyrene Mycobacterium sp. dihydrodiols .
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs)
Synthesized chemicals from petro-chemical industry used as lubricants
and insulators in heavy industry.
Used because-
Low reactivity
Non-flammable
High electrical resistance
Stable when exposed to heat and pressure
BACTERIAL DEGRADATION-
Soil bacteria breaks down PCBs via dioxygenase pathways.