Biological treatment of endocrine-disrupting chemicals(EDCs)

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as natural estrogens, bisphenol A, and nonylphenol are widely spread in the environment due to improper waste disposal. Emergence of EDCs mainly occurs from widely used consumer products like pharmaceuticals, personal care products, plastic preservatives, pesticides, and industrial lubricants. Both acute and chronic exposure of EDCs may influence the endocrine system of organisms arising severe health issues, thereby ultimately resulting in an imbalanced ecosystem. Degradation of EDCs has been largely studied in flocculation, precipitation, adsorption, and chemical oxidation-based wastewater treatment systems. Bioremediation of EDCs by a diverse range of taxonomical group’s microorganisms provides several advantages through economically adequate environmental protection. Microbial strains such as bacteria, microalgae, and fungi participate in the biodegradation and biotransformation processes of EDCs making them less endocrine-disrupting or harmful. Using various enzymes, microorganisms degrade complex EDCs into simple compounds or end products such as CO2 and H2O during their metabolic process. Fungi are the most widely used microorganism taxa for the degradation of a wide variety of EDCs. This chapter provides an overview of sources, pathways, and fate of EDCs in the environment and novel biodegradation approaches. Finally, future directions are identified in terms of unrevealed degradation mechanisms and field applications.