title: The biodegradation vs. biotransformation of fluorosubstituted aromatics.
abstract: Fluoroaromatics are widely and--in recent years--increasingly used as agrochemicals, starting materials for chemical syntheses and especially pharmaceuticals. This originates from the special properties the carbon-fluorine bond is imposing on organic molecules. Hence, fluoro-substituted compounds more and more are considered to be important potential environmental contaminants. On the other hand, the microbial potentials for their transformation and mineralization have received less attention in comparison to other haloaromatics. Due to the high electronegativity of the fluorine atom, its small size, and the extraordinary strength of the C-F bond, enzymes and mechanisms known to facilitate the degradation of chloro- or bromoarenes are not necessarily equally active with fluoroaromatics. Here, we review the literature on the microbial degradation of ring and side-chain fluorinated aromatic compounds under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, with particular emphasis being placed on the mechanisms of defluorination reactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Waste Air Purification, Institute of Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiel
authors.forename: Karl-Heinrich
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Engesser
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001711:Biotransformation; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / Q000378:metabolism*; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated