Abstract

MARTINEZ-TRUJILLO, M.A.  and  GARCIA-RIVERO, M.. Review article: Environmental applications of immobilized microorganisms. Rev. Mex. Ing. Quím [online]. 2012, vol.11, n.1, pp.55-73. ISSN 1665-2738.

The use of immobilized cells in the environmental field has been slight explored despite recognizing its potential in contaminant biodegradation due to increased tolerance to toxic compounds and the stability of the cells. The biodegradation assays of organic contaminants have been carried out mainly in liquid medium and there are few assays in soil, therefore the interest of this work focuses on reviewing the state of the art of using immobilized cells for degradation of organic pollutants in soils. Some advantages of support used in the immobilization of microorganisms for environmental purposes as well as the different approaches that have worked to identify potential areas of opportunity are also discussed.

Keywords : organic contaminants; soils; supports; degradation; bacteria; fungi.