Bacterial degradation of bisphenol A and its analogues: An overview

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most produced synthetic monomers in the world and is widespread in the environment. Due to its adverse effects on life, BPA was replaced by bisphenol analogues (BP). Bacteria can degrade BPA and other bisphenol analogues (BP) diminishing their concentrations in the environment. To summarize the knowledge and contribute to future studies, in this review we surveyed papers on bacterial degradation of twelve different bisphenol analogues published until 2020. A total of 84 original papers from PubMed and Google Scholar were selected for this review. Most of the studies (95.2%, n = 80) on bacterial degradation of bisphenol analogues (BP) focused on bisphenol A (BPA), and then on BPF, and BPS. The number of studies on bacterial degradation of bisphenol analogues increased almost six times from 2000 (n = 2) to 2020 (n = 11). Indigenous microorganisms and the genera Sphingobium and Cupriavidus could degrade several BP. However, few studies focused on Cupriavidus. Biodegradation of BPA does not imply the degradation of other analogues. The acknowledgement of various aspects of BP bacterial biodegradation is vital for choosing the most suitable microorganisms for the bioremediation of a single BP or a mixture of BP.