Anaerobic microbial degradation of persistent organic pollutants in aquatic sediments: implications of climate change

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are harmful chemicals that resist degradation and remain in the environment for a long time. These pollutants originate from various sources, such as industrial, agricultural, and waste disposal. They contaminate the environment and adversely affect human health. Bioremediation is an eco-friendly process for reducing the toxicity of POPs to both the environment and living organisms. Anaerobic degradation has emerged as a viable strategy for eliminating these persistent chemicals from the environment while also playing a significant role in mitigating climate change. Introducing POPs into the environment contributes to global warming and disturbs the Earth's natural systems. Nevertheless, increasing temperature promotes the microbial degradation of POPs by microbial communities in natural ecosystems. Integrating Artificial Intelligence with bioremediation strategies can enhance POP degradation. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of the effects of climate change-related factors, such as temperature variations, redox changes, and hydrological modifications, on the microbial degradation kinetics and pathway efficiency of POPs in sulfate-reducing, methanogenic, iron-reducing, and denitrifying environments. According to quantitative evaluations of recent research, whereas drastic changes may inhibit community stability, moderate warming might boost microbial activity and accelerate breakdown rates by up to 50%. Overall, this review provides important insights for sustainable POP management in a warming world by advancing a comprehensive framework that connects the effects of climate change with anaerobic microbial pathways.