2023 Volume 33 Issue Special_Issue Pages s26-s34
Laws and regulations regarding chemical safety require that chemicals be evaluated for long-term persistence in the environment. Methods and criteria for evaluating environmental persistence differ among the laws and regulations. Since biodegradation is one of the main degradations that chemicals undergo in the environment, persistence is usually evaluated by biodegradability tests. In general, in standardized biodegradability tests, microorganisms are exposed to only one chemical substance, whereas in the real environment, microorganisms are combined-exposed to a variety of chemicals. Under combined exposures, biodegradation of coexisting substances may be enhanced or, conversely, inhibited. This manuscript introduces definitions of biodegradability/persistence in the laws and regulations and issues in evaluation, biodegradability test methods, and the effects of combined exposure on biodegradation.
