Article info.

ABSTRACT

Received 12 Dec 2017
Revised 04 Jun 2018

Accepted 30 Nov 2018

Organochlorine compounds are released in the environment by many sources such as industrial pollution (polychlorinated biphenyls-PCBs), naturally in marine sponge’s metabolism (halomethanes, chloroethenes, chloroacetic acids, chlorophenols) or agricultural application (organochlorine pesticides). These compounds can have carcinogenic and lethal effects on human. Hence, it becomes significant concern, especially in Vietnam where high concentration of organochlorine residue has been detected in environment. Recently, interest in the microbial biodegradation of pollutants has intensified as effective applications to find sustainable ways to clean up contaminated environments. Understanding how microbial communities metabolize and respond to contaminants is the key to predicting contaminant fate at contaminated sites in bioremediation. The organohalide respiration process under anaerobic conditions involves a consortium of many microorganisms working together with complex relationships known as syntrophy. Syntrophic relationship, such as those observed between fermentative bacteria and methanogens, is an obligate form of mutualism in which both partners are dependent on each other. Syntrophic interactions are a unique niche in nature and play an important role in carbon cycling under anoxic conditions. Associations of syntrophic fermentative organisms and partners that consume fermentation products contribute to the anaerobic biodegradation of organochlorines. Addition of substrates that ferment to H₂ to stimulate reductive dechlorination has been demonstrated to be effective in bioremediation applications.  However, due to changes in community structure and difficulties in studying the function of individual populations in defined culture, understanding of syntrophic interactions is still limited.

Keywords

Anaerobic respiration, bioremediation, organochlorine, syntrophy

Cited as: Thy, C.T.A., 2018. Syntrophic interaction in organochlorine bioremediation: A review. Can Tho University Journal of Science. 54(8): 70-80.