Microbial Degradation of Nitroaromatic Compounds

Nitroaromatic compounds produced through a large number of industrial processes, most notably in the pesticides, dyes and explosives, are one category of environmental contaminants. Biodegradation is an effective way to remove nitroaromatics from polluted environments. Many efforts have been made to investigate the mechanism and application of biodegradation of nitroaromatic compounds. This paper reviewes the research advances in biodegradation of nitroaromatics on the aspects of microorganisms, degradation pathways and mechanisms, thermodynamics and kinetics, as well as the application in bioremediation. The future researches on biodegradation of nitroarmatic compounds including engineering plants to express bacterial enzymes for use in bioremediation programs are discussed.