Microbial degradation of chlorophenols

Abstract

Chlorophenols (CPs) are hazardous pollutant that are commonly encountered as major constituents of several types of wastewater such as industrial, refinery and pharmaceutical wastewater. They are also exposed to the environment in the form of chloro-based pesticides. CPs are considered harmful to human health due to their potential carcinogenic and toxic effects. Although some types of CPs are resistant to degradation and therefore persistent in the environment, many types of microorganisms have developed the ability to degrade them, and hence biological degradation can be exploited to remediate the environmental problems associated with CPs. Recent achievements in the degradation of CPs by microorganisms have been reviewed, focusing on the degradation mechanisms and pathways of 2, 4-dichlorophenol and Pentachlorophenol.