Advertisement

Capacity of Ecosystems to Degrade Anthropogenic Chemicals

  • Lukas Y. WickEmail author
  • Antonis Chatzinotas
Chapter
First Online:

Abstract

Pollution of ecosystems by a constantly increasing load of anthropogenic chemicals is a major driver of ecosystem service risk. This chapter summarizes relevant abiotic and biotic processes that determine the persistence, degradation, and ultimate destination of anthropogenic chemicals. It also summarizes research challenges for predicting the ability of an ecosystem to biodegrade an anthropogenic chemical by addressing the following questions: “What makes a chemical available for biodegradation?” and “What makes an ecosystem capable of biodegradation?”

Keywords

Organic chemicals Biodegradation Bioavailability Microbial networks Biodiversity Sustainable chemistry 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgements

This contribution was funded by and contributes to the research topic Chemicals in the Environment (CITE) within the Research Program Terrestrial Environment of the Helmholtz Association.

References

  1. 1.
    Rockstrom J, Steffen W, Noone K, Persson A, Chapin FS, Lambin EF, et al. A safe operating space for humanity. Nature. 2009;461(7263):472–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
    Carvalhais N, Forkel M, Khomik M, Bellarby J, Jung M, Migliavacca M, et al. Global covariation of carbon turnover times with climate in terrestrial ecosystems. Nature. 2014;514(7521):213–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Reemtsma T, Berger U, Arp HH, Gallard H, Knepper TP, Neumann M, et al. Mind the gap: persistent and mobile organic compounds—water contaminants that slip through. Environ Sci Technol. 2016;50:10308–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Kolvenbach BA, Helbling DE, Kohler HPE, Corvini PFX. Emerging chemicals and the evolution of biodegradation capacities and pathways in bacteria. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2014;27:8–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Ortega-Calvo JJ, Harmsen J, Parsons JR, Semple KT, Aitken MD, Ajao C, et al. From bioavailability science to regulation of organic chemicals. Environ Sci Technol. 2015;49(17):10255–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Bosma TNP, Middeldorp PJM, Schraa G, Zehnder AJB. Mass transfer limitation of biotransformation: quantifying bioavailability. Environ Sci Technol. 1996;31(1):248–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    de Lorenzo V. Systems biology approaches to bioremediation. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2008;19(6):579–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Fester T, Giebler J, Wick LY, Schlosser D, Kastner M. Plant-microbe interactions as drivers of ecosystem functions relevant for the biodegradation of organic contaminants. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2014;27:168–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Harms H, Schlosser D, Wick LY. Untapped potential: exploiting fungi in bioremediation of hazardous chemicals. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2011;9(3):177–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Hernandez‐Raquet G, Durand E, Braun F, Cravo‐Laureau C, Godon JJ. Impact of microbial diversity depletion on xenobiotic degradation by sewage‐activated sludge. Environ Microbiol Rep. 2013;5(4):588–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Kassen R, Rainey PB. The ecology and genetics of microbial diversity. Annu Rev Microbiol. 2004;58:207–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Zhou JZ, Xia BC, Treves DS, Wu LY, Marsh TL, O’Neill RV, et al. Spatial and resource factors influencing high microbial diversity in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2002;68(1):326–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Fetzer I, Johst K, Schawe R, Banitz T, Harms H, Chatzinotas A. The extent of functional redundancy changes as species’ roles shift in different environments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(48):14888–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Crowther TW, Thomas SM, Maynard DS, Baldrian P, Covey K, Frey SD, van LTA D, Bradford MA. Biotic interactions mediate soil microbial feedbacks to climate change. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(22):7033–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Classen AT, Sundqvist MK, Henning JA, Newman GS, Moore JA, Cregger MA, et al. Direct and indirect effects of climate change on soil microbial and soil microbial‐plant interactions: what lies ahead? Ecosphere. 2015;6(8):1–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Singh BK, Quince C, Macdonald CA, Khachane A, Thomas N, Abu Al-Soud W, et al. Loss of microbial diversity in soils is coincident with reductions in some specialized functions. Environ Microbiol. 2014;16(8):2408–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Tobor-Kapłon MA, Bloem J, Römkens P, De Ruiter PC. Functional stability of microbial communities in contaminated soils near a zinc smelter (Budel, The Netherlands). Ecotoxicology. 2006;15(2):187–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Blum C, Bunke D, Hungsberg M, Roelofs E, Joas A, Joas R, et al. The concept of sustainable chemistry: key drivers for the transition towards sustainable development. Sustain Chem Pharm. 2017;5:94–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Graham DW, Smith VH. Designed ecosystem services: application of ecological principles in wastewater treatment engineering. Front Ecol Environ. 2004;2:199–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Cabrol L, Poly F, Malhautier L, Pommier T, Lerondelle C, Verstraete W, et al. Management of microbial communities through transient disturbances enhances the functional resilience of nitrifying gas-biofilters to future disturbances. Environ Sci Technol. 2015;50(1):338–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Environmental MicrobiologyHelmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZLeipzigGermany
  2. 2.German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-LeipzigLeipzigGermany

Personalised recommendations

Cite chapter

Buy options