Environmental Impact of Xenobiotic Aromatic Compounds and Their Biodegradation Potential in Comamonas testosteroni

Xenobiotic aromatic compounds are the raw materials of necessities in modern life, such as plastics, pesticides, and antibiotics. To meet the global requirements, their production and consumption have continually increased, and thus, the vast amount of waste generated results in prominent environmental pollution. Fortunately, some microorganisms (e.g., Comamonas spp.) can specially use these pollutants as substrates for growth, allowing for the development of bioremediation technology to achieve sustainable development goals. Here, we describe common xenobiotic aromatic compounds used in our daily life, discuss their impact on the environment, and review their biodegradation strategies by Comamonas testosteroni, as an example. Finally, we argue that microbiome engineering opens up the avenue to future biofilm-based biodegradation technology to improve aromatic compound bioremediation.