Indian J. Microbiol.
(March 2007) 48:12
Indian J. Microbiol. (March 2008) 48:12
EDITORIAL
Biodegradation and Bioremediation
Intensication of agriculture and industry has resulted in
the release of a wide range of xenobiotic compounds in
the environment. This has taken a heavy toll on the pristine
nature of the environment. Bioremediation is a biodegrada-
tion process in which sites contaminated with xenobiotics
are cleaned up by means of microbial bio-geochemical
processes, preferably in situ. It exploits the ability of mi-
croorganisms to reduce the concentration and/or toxicity of
a large number of pollutants such as petroleum products,
xenobiotics including PAHs and PCBs, pesticides and their
metabolites and heavy metals. A narrow denition of biore-
mediation might focus on the conversion of contaminating
organic molecules to CO2, water and inorganic ions, and the
oxidation or reduction of contaminating inorganic ions. A
broader denition would include biological processes for
ameliorating extremes of pH, concentrating contaminants
so that they can be more easily removed by physical tech-
niques, converting toxic species to less toxic forms, thereby
restoring functional ecosystems in contaminated or dis-
turbed sites when the contaminants or disturbance cannot
be removed.
Many bacteria have been used in both natural and an-
thropogenic bioremediation processes. Microbial diversity
offers a variety of environment-friendly options for miner-
alization of contaminants or their transformation into less
harmful non-hazardous compounds through green technol-
ogy. Among the various organic contaminants from agri-
culture, pesticide chemicals and their residues occupy the
most signicant position. Similarly a wide range of metallic
and nonmetallic contaminants is present at industrial and
agricultural sites throughout the world, both in ground and
surface water and in soils. The metals and metalloids pose
quite a different problem from that of organic contaminants,
since they cannot be degraded.
If the environment is optimum for microbial growth,
activity and survival and the contaminant is biodegradable,
the last factor to consider is the population of catabolic
microorganisms. Efforts have been made to characterize
bacterial communities and their responses to pollutants,
to isolate the potential degraders and to identify the genes
involved in degradation process. While several microorgan-
1
isms with dened catabolic potential have been isolated, it
is now a common knowledge that only a small fraction
of microorganisms can be cultivated. However, recent
developments in microbial ecology have enabled the
researchers to identify microorganisms using culture-inde-
pendent studies.
Research on isolating and monitoring of microorganisms
with catabolic potential has improved the prospects of us-
ing bioremediation as an alternative to chemical or physical
remediation strategies. In fact, a few success stories have
been scripted detailing the use of bioremediation technolo-
gies for clean-up of contaminated environments. Looking at
the Indian scenario, TERI, New Delhi has made substantial
contribution to the bacterial decontamination of petroleum
and diesel products. However, more concerted efforts to
use bacteria for bioremediation of other priority pollut-
ants in the country are necessary. Detection of HCH, DDT
and endosulfan residues in soft drinks and mineral water
in recent years is a cause for serious concern. While there
seems to be no potential bacterial strains that can complete-
ly mineralize DDT and probably also endosulfan, enormous
efforts have now gone to develop bioremediation technol-
ogy for the decontamination of HCH residues. It will be
worth mentioning that the unprecedented contamination
of our environment by HCH lies in its unusual process
of production. Lindane or -HCH, the commercially impor-
tant isomer, is co-produced with three other major isomers
(-, - and -HCH) that actually are potent environmental
contaminants.
Research on biodegradation and bioremediation in
India started on a strong footing by the efforts of Dr. N.
Sethunathan at CRRI, Cuttack. In the initial years of his
research, he isolated Flavobacterium sp. ATCC 27551,
capable of degrading several phosphorothioate insecticides
and Sphingomonas paucimobilis (subsequently renamed
as Sphingobium indicum B90A) capable of aerobically de-
grading all the four isomers of hexachlorocylohexane [See
the article by Lal et al. in this issue) have been legendary.
This organism has been investigated extensively with an
aim to develop relevant bioremediation technology. Sev-
eral groups have conrmed the very interesting ndings
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2 Indian J. Microbiol. (March 2007) 48:12

of -HCH degradation by Sphingobium indicum B90A,
originally reported by the research group of Dr. Sethuna-
than. The ability of Sphingobium indicum B90A to degrade
-HCH has expanded the horizon of knowledge on the bio-
chemical potential of microorganisms.
I feel myself privileged to edit this special issue of Indian
Journal of Microbiology in his honor. I am thankful to all
the contributors, the Editor-in-Chief of Indian Journal of
Microbiology and the Association of Microbiologists of
India for having trust on me for this huge endeavor.
Dr. T. K. Adhya
Guest Editor

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