Microbial Degradation of Hazardous Chemicals: Addressing Toxicity and Genotoxicity in Waste Management

The rapid growth of industrial activities contribute to the widespread release of hazardous chemicals into the environment, many of which exhibit high levels of toxicity and genotoxicity. These chemicals, including heavy metals, pesticides, and organic solvents, pose significant risks to human health and impact ecological systems due to their persistence and bioaccumulative behavior. Conventional waste treatment methods, such as incineration as well as chemical and physical treatments, often fall short in effectively neutralizing these toxicants and may generate secondary pollutants.

In contrast, microbial degradation offers a promising, eco-friendly alternative by leveraging naturally occurring or engineered microorganisms to detoxify or completely mineralize harmful compounds. Research in this field focuses not only on identifying efficient microbial strains but also on understanding the biochemical pathways involved and evaluating the reduction in toxicity and genotoxicity post-treatment. This approach aligns with global efforts toward sustainable waste management and environmental protection.

This Research Topic will focus on the microbial degradation of hazardous chemicals as a biologically driven and environmentally sustainable solution. Specifically, it will explore the use of native or genetically modified microorganisms capable of breaking down or transforming toxic substances into less harmful or inert forms. The collection will also assess the effectiveness of microbial treatments in reducing both toxicity and genotoxicity through bioassays and molecular analysis. This approach aims to enhance current waste management practices by integrating microbial solutions that are both cost-effective and ecologically sound.

We encourage Original Research, Reviews, Methods and Perspective articles addressing scientific, technological, and practical aspects that support the development of sustainable and efficient bioremediation strategies. Subjects include:

• Metabolic and enzymatic processes enabling microorganisms to degrade hazardous chemicals;

• Development, genetic modification, or adaptation of native and engineered microorganisms to enhance degradation efficiency;

• Effectiveness of microbial treatments for the reduction in toxicity and genotoxicity of contaminants and their degradation products;

• Exploration of synergistic, competitive, and cooperative interactions within microbial communities that drive or hinder hazardous chemical degradation.

Please note that Microbiotechnology does not consider descriptive studies that are solely based on amplicon (e.g., 16S rRNA) profiles or comparisons of nucleic acid extracts (e.g., metagenomics), unless they are accompanied by a clear hypothesis and experimentation and provide insight into the microbiological system or process being studied.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Waste Management, Engineered microorganisms, Pollution detoxification, Enzyme-mediated degradation, Waste bioremediation, Hazardous chemicals, Organic pollutants, Microbial degradation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.