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Biogeochemical Cycle, Occurrence and Biological Treatments of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are responsible for contaminating environmental compartments around the world, imposing risk associated with human health and ecosystem pollution. Emissions from anthropogenic activities predominate; nevertheless, open burning, volcanic activities, and natural losses of petroleum deposits are prominent natural sources. Different physical and chemical treatment technologies have been developed and tested for the removal of PAHs, but the use of biological entities was found most favourable for adaptation at industrial scale. This review can help to understand the mobility of PAHs in the environment. Focus of this review is on identifying processes through which PAHs are added to environment, their biogeochemical cycles, biodegradation, environmental and substrate-specific factors affecting biodegradation. Further studies related to different bioprocesses linked with remediation and removal methodologies along with factors affecting the treatment have also been brought into consideration. This review brings together inter-disciplinary aspects and understanding for PAHs, to which no previous review has focused.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to Higher Education Commission (HEC), and Department of Environmental Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad for providing faculties required for this assignment. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. In the end, no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest is declared by authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Aqib Hassan Ali Khan, Muhammad Ayaz, Maryem Arshad, Sohail Yousaf & Mazhar Iqbal

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Mariam Anees & Aneesa Sultan

  3. Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

    Muhammad Abeer Khan

  4. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS IIT, Abbottabad, Pakistan

    Ismat Nawaz

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  1. Aqib Hassan Ali Khan
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  2. Muhammad Ayaz
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  4. Sohail Yousaf
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  5. Muhammad Abeer Khan
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  9. Mazhar Iqbal
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Correspondence to Mazhar Iqbal.

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Khan, A.H.A., Ayaz, M., Arshad, M. et al. Biogeochemical Cycle, Occurrence and Biological Treatments of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Iran J Sci Technol Trans Sci 43, 1393–1410 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40995-017-0393-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40995-017-0393-8

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