This comes under the microbiology in B.Sc. Agriculture.It is important for biology group of students in bio sciences, agriculture sciences,food technology etc. What is The Meaning Of Biodegradation? A biodegradable product can dissolve easily in the environment without destroying nature. It’s the opposite of plastic and Styrofoam, which harm the environment. The meaning of biodegradation is breaking down of organic substances by the help of other living organisms such as bacteria and microbes. History: The first known use of the word in biological text was in 1961 when employed to describe the breakdown of material into the base components of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen by microorganisms .

2.  INTRODUCTION
A. Biotransformation
B. Bioremediation
• LIST OF BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS
• SOME SUCH TIME SPANS ARE GIVEN BELOW
1. Biodegradation of Petroleum (Hydrocarbon)
a. Biodegradation of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons
b. Biodegradation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons
2. Microbial Degradation of Xenobiotics
 Sources Of Xenobiotics
3. Biodegradation of Pesticides
4. Biodegradation of Plastics

3. • Microbiological process by which organic substances
are broken down by the help of environmental
effects and living organisms such as bacteria and
microbes .
• Organic materials can be degraded by
 aerobically- with the help of oxygen or
an aerobically- without help of oxygen.
• Biodegradable Matter is generally organic material
such as plant and animal matter and other substances
originating from living organisms.

4. The term biotransformation is used for
incomplete biodegradation of organic
compounds involving one or a few reactions.
Biotransformation is employed for the synthesis
of commercially important products by
microorganisms.

5.  Bioremediation refers to the process of using
microorganisms to remove the environmental pollutants i.e.
the toxic wastes found in soil, water, air etc.
 The microbes serve as scavengers in bioremediation.
 The removal of organic wastes by microbes for
environmental clean-up is the essence of bioremediation.
 The other names used (by some authors) for bioremediation
are bio-treatment, bio-reclamation and bio-restoration.

6.  There are many new ecofriendly which have been
introduced into the market. All we need to do is to check
the label and make sure that actually biodegradable.
 Some items now made with natural and biodegradable
products:
1. Biodegradable detergent and soap,
2. Lemon batteries,
3. Plant pesticides,
4. Waste bags etc.

7.  The time required for biodegradation of different materials is different.
Here is the time that is takes for some products:
a. Banana Peel – A week
b. Cotton Cloth- 1 to 5 months
c. Paper- 2 to 5 months
d. Wool- 1 to 5 Years
e. Nylon- 30 to 40 Years
f. Thin Plastic- 10 to 20 Years
g. Thick Plastic- 500 Years

8. h. Orange Peels- 6 months
i. Tree Leaves- 1 Year
j. Plastic bags- 10 to 20 Years
k. Leather Shoes- 25 to 40 Years
l. Tin Cans- 50 to 100 Years
m. Aluminum Cans- 80 to 100 Years
n. Glass Bottles- 1 million Years etc.

9.  A hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting
entirely of hydrogen and carbon.
 The majority of hydrocarbons found on earth
naturally occurs in crude oil.
 Petroleum and its products are the hydrocarbons.
 Aromatic hydrocarbons (arenes), alkanes, alkenes,
cyclo alkanes and alkynes-based compound are
different type of hydrocarbon.

10.  It is a rich source of organic matter and is oxidised if
comes in contact with air and moisture.
 Fungi and bacteria are the main agents which
decompose oil and oil products.
 The simplest hydrocarbon pollutant is methane.
 Many Pseudomonas, different cyanobacteria, various
corynebacteria and mycobacteria are able for
biodegradation of petroleum products.

12.  The uptake of aliphatic hydrocarbons is a slow
process due to their low solubility in aqueous
medium.
 Both aerobic and anaerobic processes are operative
for the degradation of aliphatic hydrocarbons
 For instance, unsaturated hydrocarbons are degraded
in both anaerobic and aerobic environments, while
saturated ones are degraded by aerobic process.

13.  Microbial degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons
occurs through aerobic and anaerobic processes.
 The most important microorganism that participates
in these processes is Pseudomonas.
 The biodegradation of aromatic compounds basically
involves the following sequence of reactions:
 Removal of the side chains.
Opening of the benzene ring.

14.  It is derived from a Greek word “XENOS” meaning “foreign or strange”.
 Xenobiotics are those chemicals which do not exist in nature.
 These are man-made, synthesized compound such as pesticides.
 Xenobiotics broadly refer to the unnatural, foreign and synthetic
chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, refrigerants, solvents and other
organic compounds.
 They are usually synthesized for industrial or agricultural purposes e.g.:
aromatic, pesticides, hydrocarbons, plastics, lignin etc.
 They are also called RECALCITRANTS as they can resist degradation to
maximum level.

15. 1. Petrochemical Industry:-
‐ Oil/gas Industry , refineries.
‐ Produces basic chemicals e.g. vinyl chloride and
benzene.
2. Plastic Industry:-
‐ Closely related to the petrochemical Industry.
‐ Uses a number of complex organic compounds .
‐ Such as anti-oxidants, plasticizers, cross linking agents.

16. 3. Pesticide Industry:-
‐ Most Commonly Found.
‐ Structures are benzene and benzene derivatives.
4. Paint Industry:-
‐ Major Ingredients are solvents.
‐ Xylene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone etc.
5. Others:-
‐ Electronic Industry, Textile Industry, Pulp and Paper
Industry, Cosmetic and pharmaceuticals Industry, Wood
Preservation etc.

17. Pesticides are substances meant for mitigating
or destroying pests.
They are a class of biocide.
The most common use of pesticides is as plant
protection products (also known as crop
protection products).
It includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide,
termiticide, insect repellent, animal repellent,
fungicide, disinfectant, and sanitizer.

18. • Plastic is a broad name given to different polymers with high
molecular weight, which can be degraded by different processes.
• The biodegradation of plastics by microorganisms and enzymes
seem to be the most effective process.
• It consist of two steps – fragmentation and mineralization. But
at the core, reaction occurring at molecular level are oxidation
and hydrolysis.
• The decomposition of major condensation polymers (e.g.
polyesters and polyamides) takes place through hydrolysis ,
while decomposition of polymers in which the main chain
contains only carbon atoms (e.g. polyvinyl alcohol, lignin)
includes oxidation which can be followed by the hydrolysis of
the products of oxidation.