Réhabilitation par les microorganismes de sites contenant du pyralène: problématique et perspectives d'étude

Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) have been widely used in a number of industrial applications for nearly 50 years. As a consequence of their intensive use, and due to the stability of the molecules, they have become progressively widespread contaminants in soil, sediments and landfills. Because classical remediation technologies (confinement, incineration, etc.) are generally expensive and not always efficient, alternative methods involving biodegradation by microbial populations have been developed. The two known pathways of biodegradation (oxidative and reductive), as well as factors affecting PCB degradation by microbial strains, are reviewed here. The different bioremediation strategies proposed and those recently developed are examined and compared. The use and study of new microorganisms, including cyanobacteria, are also evoked.