Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides

Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides

Pesticides often feature structurally complex chemical architectures, incorporating halogen groups and multiple aromatic rings. These characteristics confer high chemical stability, rendering many pesticides resistant to natural degradation processes. This resistance poses significant environmental concerns, as persistent pesticide residues can accumulate in ecosystems and affect non-target organisms.Despite the inherent stability of many pesticides, certain microorganisms possess the metabolic...

Microbial Bioremediation of Plastics

Microbial Bioremediation of Plastics

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a synthetic polymer widely utilized in the packaging industry, particularly for bottles and containers. Due to its chemical stability and durability, PET accumulates in the environment, contributing significantly to plastic pollution. It comprises repeating units of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, resulting in a semi-crystalline structure that is resistant to natural degradation processes.A notable breakthrough in plastic biodegradation came with the...

Bioplastics

Bioplastics

Bioplastics derived from microbial processes present a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Among these, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), particularly polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs), have emerged as prominent candidates due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. These polymers are synthesized by a variety of bacteria, such as Cupriavidus necator and Pseudomonas putida, which naturally accumulate PHAs as intracellular carbon and energy reserves, especially under...

Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

Bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable process that employs living organisms—primarily microorganisms—to degrade or neutralize pollutants from contaminated environments. In oil spills and hydrocarbon pollution, bioremediation involves the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to transform toxic compounds into less harmful substances. This approach leverages natural microbial metabolic processes and is considered both cost-effective and ecologically favorable compared to physical or...

Bioremediation

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.

Biodeterioration

Biodeterioration

Biodeterioration refers to the unwanted alteration of materials caused by microorganisms—especially fungi—which damage both organic substrates (paper, wood, textiles) and inorganic ones (stone, plaster, glass). Unlike abiotic decay, biodeterioration results from biological activity that produces physical disruption and chemical degradation.Physical deterioration occurs as fungal hyphae penetrate pores, cracks, and surface irregularities. Hyphal turgor pressure, thigmotropic growth along...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Periphytic biofilms entrap CO<sub>2</sub> from industrial gas mixtures.

Trends in biotechnology·2026

Same author

Decoding Microbial Reductive Dechlorination of 209 Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners through Experiment-Aided Quantum Chemistry and Machine Learning.

Environmental science & technology·2026

Same author

Phylum-wide propionate degradation and its potential connection to poly-gamma-glutamate biosynthesis in Candidatus Cloacimonadota phylum.

The ISME journal·2026

Same author

Microcystins 'steer' antibiotic resistome dynamics by synergetic metabolism and horizontal gene transfer in a megacity's water supply catchment microbiota.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026

Same author

Periphyton closes the nitrogen budget gap in rice paddies.

National science review·2026

Same author

Organochlorine pesticides in soil across China: dissipation and remediation.

Science bulletin·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Implementation of a Hyperbolic Vortex Plasma Reactor for the Removal of Micropollutants in Water

Implementation of a Hyperbolic Vortex Plasma Reactor for the Removal of Micropollutants in Water

Published on: July 25, 2025

Biodegradation of perfluorinated compounds.

John R Parsons¹, Monica Sáez, Jan Dolfing

¹Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

|November 26, 2008

Summary

While some poly- and per-fluorinated compounds (PFCs) biodegrade, mineralization is incomplete. Further research into microbial defluorination is crucial for understanding PFC environmental fate, similar to past studies on organochlorines.

More Related Videos

Identifying Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemical Species with a Combined Targeted and Non-Targeted-Screening High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Workflow

Identifying Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemical Species with a Combined Targeted and Non-Targeted-Screening High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Workflow

Published on: April 18, 2019

Investigating Long-Distance Transport of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Wheat via a Split-Root Exposure Technique

Investigating Long-Distance Transport of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Wheat via a Split-Root Exposure Technique

Published on: September 28, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Implementation of a Hyperbolic Vortex Plasma Reactor for the Removal of Micropollutants in Water

Implementation of a Hyperbolic Vortex Plasma Reactor for the Removal of Micropollutants in Water

Published on: July 25, 2025

Identifying Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemical Species with a Combined Targeted and Non-Targeted-Screening High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Workflow

Identifying Per- and Polyfluorinated Chemical Species with a Combined Targeted and Non-Targeted-Screening High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Workflow

Published on: April 18, 2019

Investigating Long-Distance Transport of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Wheat via a Split-Root Exposure Technique

Investigating Long-Distance Transport of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Wheat via a Split-Root Exposure Technique

Published on: September 28, 2022

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Microbiology
Environmental Chemistry

Background:

Biodegradation of some poly- and per-fluorinated compounds (PFCs) is documented but often incomplete, lacking full mineralization.
Specific PFCs like 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol and 2-N-ethyl(perfluorooctane sulfonamido)ethanol can be degraded to persistent intermediates (PFAS).
The ultimate fate and potential for complete defluorination and biodegradation of PFCs remain significant environmental questions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the potential for defluorination and biodegradation of PFCs.
To assess the contribution of microbial degradation to the environmental fate of PFCs.
To explore the possibility of microbial adaptation to PFCs as an energy source.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing biodegradation studies on PFCs.
Analysis of microbial degradation pathways for specific fluorinated alcohols and sulfonamides.
Comparison with historical microbial adaptation to recalcitrant organochlorine compounds.

Main Results:

Incomplete biodegradation of certain PFCs, leading to persistent perfluorinated substances like PFOA and PFOS.
The high stability of the carbon-fluorine bond presents a challenge for complete mineralization.
Reductive defluorination is energetically favorable under anaerobic conditions, suggesting potential for microbial adaptation.

Conclusions:

Microbial defluorination of PFCs is possible but currently limited, with mineralization not yet observed.
The lack of observed degradation may be due to insufficient time for microbial adaptation, analogous to early studies on organochlorines.
Continued research using microbial populations from contaminated sites or known dehalogenating bacteria is essential to understand PFC biodegradation potential.