The catabolism of PAHs, possessing three or less fused aromatic rings, has been well studied, while the metabolism of higher PAHs containing four or more rings has not been investigated extensively. The processes involving biodegradation are proportional to the ring size of PAH molecules. The lower molecular weight PAHs are degraded more rapidly than the higher weight PAHs. Till the late 1980s, there were no reports of axenic microbial cultures utilizing PAHs containing four or more fused rings as the sole source of carbon and energy. Since then, a number or pure cultures have been reported which are capable of degrading higher PAHs such as fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene and benz[a]anthracene. The biochemical pathways involved in the catabolism of these of these PAHs have been well identified. However, microorganisms capable of degrading PAHs containing five benzene rings have been difficult to obtain. The very low solubility of more complex PHAs strongly reduces their bioavailability, due to which they do not serve as amenable substrates for microbial metabolism.