Compared with the physico-chemical degradation of PAM, there
is no acrylamide monomer released in the process of biodegradation
[14–16]. In the presence of suitable enzymes, a consortium of
pure strains can efficiently degrade PAM by decomposing the main
carbon chain backbone [14]. Unfortunately,PAMis seldom reported
to be degraded by microorganisms. Kay-Shoemake et al. [15,16]
reported that some soil microorganisms can use PAM as an organic
nitrogen source rather than carbon source. Further research indicated
that a number of microbes can use PAM as the sole nitrogen
source. Nakamiya and Kinoshita [14] isolated two strains of bacteria
from soil, which could biodegrade about 20% of the total organic
carbon in the initial medium, and the average molecular weight of
PAM was reduced from 2×106 to 0.5×106, after 27 h cultivation.
Ma et al. [17] isolated a sulphate-reducing bacteria strain with the
function for HPAM degradation, the results showed that the bacteria
can use HPAM as the only carbon source, hydrolyzing the side
chain and changing some function group. The removing efficiency
for HPAM reached 30.8%.