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ENZYMATIC PROCESSES USED BY PLANTS TO DEGRADE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Citation:
Wolfe, N L., O. Prakash, C. F. Hoehamer, AND C S. Mazur. ENZYMATIC PROCESSES USED BY PLANTS TO DEGRADE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS. Presented at US Environmental Protection Agency Phytoremediation Conference, Boston, MA, May 1-2, 2000.
Impact/Purpose:
Elucidate and model the underlying processes (physical, chemical, enzymatic, biological, and geochemical) that describe the species-specific transformation and transport of organic contaminants and nutrients in environmental and biological systems. Develop and integrate chemical behavior parameterization models (e.g., SPARC), chemical-process models, and ecosystem-characterization models into reactive-transport models.
Description:
This is a review of recent plant enzyme systems that have been studied in uptake and transformation of organic contaminants. General procedures of plant preparation and enzyme isolation are covered. Six plant enzyme systems have been investigated for activity with selected pollutants. A nitroreductase has been isolated and partially characterized that reduces nitroaromatic compounds including the munition TNT to the corresponding amino products. A dehalogenase like compound has been isolated from a large cross section of plants that reduce aliphatic hydrocarbons such as TCE and PCE but not halogenated aromatics. A phosphatase has been isolated from duck weed that degrades selected organophosphate esters by a hydrolysis mechanism. This has been demonstrated for several organophosphate pesticides and chemical warfare agents (surrogates). Three other enzyme systems have been investigated for environmental importance as transformation pathways but they have not been well characterized. They are a family of peroxidases, a nitrilase and an azoreductase.