Biological cyanide destruction mediated by microorganisms

Many microorganisms have an inherent capacity to degrade the toxic organic compounds that enter the environment as a result of pollution and natural activities. Significant degradation of these compounds may take many years and it is frequently necessary to consider methods that can accelerate this...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World journal of microbiology & biotechnology 1995-05, Vol.11 (3), p.257-265
Main Authors: DUBEY, S. K, HOLMES, D. S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodegradation of pollutants
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Environment and pollution
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects
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Summary:Many microorganisms have an inherent capacity to degrade the toxic organic compounds that enter the environment as a result of pollution and natural activities. Significant degradation of these compounds may take many years and it is frequently necessary to consider methods that can accelerate this process. There have been several demonstrations of enhanced biological degradation of toxic wastes, both in the laboratory and under field conditions. The prospects for enhanced biological cyanide degradation are reviewed. Compared with bench-scale processes, there are very few reports of field-scale processes for cyanide bioremediation. The implementation of such field-scale degradation requires inputs from biology, hydrology, geology, chemistry and civil engineering. A conceptual framework is emerging that can be adapted to develop new processes for bioremediation of toxic organic wastes. In terms of cyanide biodegradation, this framework incorporates identification of microbes, determination of the optimal conditions for degradation, establishment of the metabolic pathways involved in cyanide degradation, identification and localization of the genes involved, identification of suitable microbial strains for practical application and development of practical engineering processes. The present review addresses the progress that has been made in each of these aspects of cyanide biodegradation. It also examines the existing field applications of biological cyanide degradation and makes recommendations for future research.
ISSN:0959-3993
1573-0972
DOI:10.1007/BF00367095