The role of prokaryotes in cyanide degradation

Abstract

Cyanide is a toxic substance, potentially lethal, whose concentration has increased due to anthropogenic activities, which generates a negative impact on the ecosystem and on the health of the exposed organisms. For a couple of decades a biotechnological process called "bioremediation" has been used, this consists of taking advantage of the metabolic capacities of microorganisms such as bacteria and archaea that degrade or attenuate contaminants such as cyanide and the compounds it forms. The present work aims to identify the main species of bacteria and archaea with the capacity to degrade cyanide in its different forms, through a bibliographic analysis. Among the microorganisms used for the degradation of cyanide are Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens, among other species. Based on the number of species described and their efficient removal rates, the cyanide bioremediation process was found to be a promising alternative. In addition, there is a greater biodegradation in the aerobic process compared to the anaerobic process.