Worldwide industrial development has released a large number of natural as well as synthetic hazardous compounds into the environment. Petrochemical solid waste is generally associated with more hazardous constituents, and accordingly carries a higher level of public health and environmental risk potential. The petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants from industry can enter the soil, air and water. The current physico-chemical technologies are not sufficient and/or effective to treat the contaminants to the acceptable level as per the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Bioremediation is a promising option for the complete removal and destruction of contaminants. It uses of the living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to degrade or detoxify hazardous wastes into harmless substances such as CO2, water and cell biomass. It is an option that offers the possibility to destroy or generate harmless byproducts using natural biological activity. In recent years, many microbial ecologists have identified various microbial species that are effective degraders of hydrocarbons in natural environments. Microorganisms have been widely used for bioremediation in the form of consortium or single bacterial isolate. The present review describes the toxicity of petroleum monoaromatics (BTEX), their route of entry in the environment and its microbial degradation.

Keywords: Bioremediation; Petrochemical Wastes; BTEX; Microorganisms;