Handbook on Biodegradation and Biological Treatment of Hazardous Organic Compounds (Environment & Chemistry, 2)

The introduction of synthetic organic chemicals into the environment during the last few decades has given rise to major concern about the ecotoxicological effects and ultimate fate of these compounds. The pollutants that are considered to be most hazardous because of their intrinsic toxicity, high exposure level, or recalcitrant behavior in the environment have been placed on blacklists and other policy priority lists. The fate of synthetic compounds that enter the environment is mainly determined by their rate of biodegradation, which therefore also has a major effect on the degree of bioaccumulation and the risk of ecotoxicological effects. The degree and rate of biodegradation is also of critical importance for the feasibility of biological techniques to clean up contaminated sites and waste streams. The biodegradation of xenobiotics has thus been the subject of numerous studies, which resulted in thousands of publications in scientific journals, books, and conference proceedings. These studies led to a deeper understanding of the diversity of biodegradation processes. As a result, it has become possible to enhance the rate of degradation of recalcitrant pollutants during biological treatment and to design completely new treatment processes. At present, much work is being done to expand the range of pollutants to which biodegradation can be applied, and to make treatment techniques less expensive and better applicable for waste streams which are difficult to handle.

The removal of chemical pollutants in biological treatment systems and during bioremediation activities is dependent on the capacity of microorganisms to degrade synthetic chemicals. This book presents, for more than 100 synthetic compounds, an overview of the biodegradation processes and pathways that yield detoxification and mineralisation. Results on the removal of synthetic pollutants in treatment systems are summarized. The book aims to help engineers to understand the potential and the possible limitations of biological treatment techniques for soil, groundwater, waste water and air.
Features: summarizes the physico-chemical parameters important for biodegradation; reviews the behavior and biodegradation of synthetic compounds in the natural environment; presents an overview of the possibilities for aerobic and anaerobic degradation, and summarizes the microorganisms involved; identifies limitations and bottlenecks for degradation; reviews and evaluates the possibilities for removal in biological treatment processes; includes information on dozens of aliphatic, aromatic, chlorinated, and nitrogen-containing compounds; to be used by engineers for judging the feasibility and prospects of biological treatment in practical situations.

Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction....Pages 1-12 Aliphatic compounds....Pages 13-75 Halogenated aliphatic compounds....Pages 77-187 Aromatic compounds....Pages 189-286 Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)....Pages 287-349 Chlorinated aromatic compounds....Pages 351-471 Synonyms, abbreviations, glossary, index....Pages 473-491 Back Matter....Pages 493-493