Biodegradation and Transformation of Recalcitrant Compounds

The persistence of man-made chemicals may be a necessary requirement for compounds designed specifically for technical use, or of compounds, like insecticides directed towards specific targets. In general, however, persistence of man-made chemicals in the natural environment is undesirable. Studies on degradation including both biotic and abiotic processes therefore occupy a central position in environmental hazard assessments. Whereas a more general view has been presented by Landner [1], this review deals exclusively with problems related to studies on biodegradability.