ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Review Article | Open Access
Syed Raju Ali, Yasir Anwar and Hani Mohammed Ali
Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Article Number: 10237 | © The Author(s). 2025
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2025;19(4):2429-2440. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.19.4.39
Received: 14 January 2025 | Accepted: 30 October 2025 | Published online: 27 November 2025
Issue online: December 2025
Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds, composed of two or more fused benzene rings sourced from unburned fossil fuels and petroleum, recognized for their wide presence in the environment and harmful impacts on human health and ecosystems. PAHs pose remarkable challenges to living habitats due to their mutagenic properties. Fluorene is a low-molecular-weight heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with multiple industrial applications, for example, pigments, fluorescents, and pharmaceuticals. Its xenobiotic activities on living cells may lead to severe health concerns including cancer and organ damage. The degradation of PAHs through several physicochemical reactions is costly, labor-intensive, time-consuming, and detrimental to the environment. However, biodegradation of PAHs using  microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae leads to a sustainable and cost-effective method. Despite ongoing research, finding potent microbial strains capable of degrading PAHs comprehensively is a significant challenge. This review highlights the toxicity of PAHs (especially fluorene) on the environment and summarizes effective microorganisms and their approaches for meaningful PAH bioremediation.

Keywords

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, Fluorene, Microorganisms, Biodegradation, Bioremediation

Article Metrics

Article View: 111

Share This Article

© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.