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Approaches to In Situ Characterization of Microbial Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Chen Songcan1, Duan Guilan1*, Zhu Yongguan1,2*
1Department of Soil Environment Science, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; 2Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
Abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous in the natural environment， and most of them are persist in the ecosystem for many years owing to their low aqueous solubility and their absorption to solid particles. Bioremediation through microbial degradation could be an attractive technology for restoration of PAHcontaminated environment. Traditional researches on microbial degradation of PAHs concentrate on pure cultures， in situ process and mechanism of microbial degradation of PAHs. Recently， rapid development of in situ characterization technologies makes it feasible to investigate microbial degradation processes in complex environments， including characterization of functional microorganisms and genes involved in PAHs degradation at genetic and cellular levels. These technologies are powerful tools to promote the understanding of PAHs biodegradation processes and molecular mechanisms. More knowledge on the functions and interacpolluted environments. In this review， we outline the application of current approaches to in situ characterization in situ hybridization (FISH)， Raman spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)， and discuss their applications and limitations.
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