Microorganisms potentially utilize xenobiotic contaminants as carbon or nitrogen sources to sustain their growth and metabolic activities. Diverse microbial populations survive in harsh contaminated environments, exhibiting a significant biodegradation potential to degrade and transform pollutants.
What are examples of xenobiotics?
Examples of Xenobiotics are compounds that include drugs, food additives, and environmental pollutants. These agents are normally eliminated from the body after metabolism to compounds that are excreted through the bile, kidney, lung, or dermus.
Which of the following is used in biodegradation of xenobiotics?
Enzymes
Explanation: Enzymes are the biological compounds that are used in bio degradation of xenobiotics whereas Chemicals might help in degradation but are harmful to the environment, physical sorting is tedious hence, not effective and poly-cyclic aromatics hydrocarbons are environmental pollutants.
Which of the following is the best method to degrade xenobiotic compounds?
Which of the following is the best method to degrade xenobiotic compounds? Clarification: Microbial degradation is the best method to degrade xenobiotic compounds founds in disposal pits, sewage treatment plants etc., as the microorganisms are used to degrade xenobiotic compounds is the best method.
Are xenobiotics biodegradable?
Xenobiotics may resist biodegradation, or they undergo incomplete biodegradation or just biotransformation. Depending on their fate in air, water, soil, or sediment, xenobiotic pollutants may become available to microorganisms in different environmental compartments.
What is a xenobiotic compound?
Definition. A xenobiotic (Greek, xenos “foreign”; bios “life”) is a compound that is foreign to a living organism. Principal xenobiotics include: drugs, carcinogens and various compounds that have been introduced into the environment by artificial means.
Which of the following is a xenobiotic compound?
These compounds are produced as plastics, e.g., polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride etc., and nylons which are used as garments, wrapping materials etc. They are recalcitrant mainly due to their insolubility in water and molecular size.
Can plants degrade xenobiotic compounds?
USEPA (2000) defines phytoremediation as “the use of plants for containment, degradation or extraction of xenobiotics from water or soil substrates” [84].
What are natural xenobiotics?
Xenobiotics are chemicals found but not produced in organisms or the environment. Some naturally occurring chemicals (endobiotics) become xenobiotics when present in the environment at excessive concentrations. The “xeno” in “xenobiotics” comes from the Greek word xenos meaning guest, friend, or foreigner.
What is the microbial degradation of xenobiotics?
The microbial degradation of xenobiotics is seen as a cost effective method of removing these pollutants from the environment by a process now known as bioremediation. Microbial treatment of industrial effluents is also possible.
What is bio-magnification of xenobiotics?
Many toxic xenobiotics are progressively more concentrated in each link of a food chain, a process called bio-magnification (Fig. 9.3). Microbial degradation of xenobiotics has been thoroughly studied. (i) Primary degradation, in which the characteristic property of the original compound is disappeared;
How do xenobiotics enter the environment?
These compounds enter the environment as components of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides. Many toxic xenobiotics are progressively more concentrated in each link of a food chain, a process called bio-magnification (Fig. 9.3). Microbial degradation of xenobiotics has been thoroughly studied.
Xenobiotic compounds are chemicals which are foreign to the biosphere. Depending on their fate in air, water, soil, or sediment, xenobiotic pollutants may become available to microorganisms in different environmental compartments.
