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AROMATIC HYDROCARBON DEGRADATION: A MOLECULAR APPROACH
Citation:
Zylstra, G. AND D. Gibson. AROMATIC HYDROCARBON DEGRADATION: A MOLECULAR APPROACH. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-93/325 (NTIS PB93229433), 1991.
Description:
Aromatic hydrocarbons have a ubiquitous distribution in nature. he majority of these compounds are formed through the pyrolysis of organic matter. yrolysis at high temperatures leads to the information of unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (1). yrolysis at low temperatures, such as those at which crude petroleum is formed, leads to the formation of alkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons. any of these compounds are suspected carcinogens. ncreased use of petrochemicals by modern society has increased the amount of aromatic hydrocarbons found in air and soil samples. t is not surprising then that due to the ubiquitous nature and increasing concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons microorganisms can be found that have the ability to degrade these compounds. he varied mechanisms by which microorganisms utilize aromatic hydrocarbons as carbon and energy sources have been the focus of several reviews.
