The "fall" of the principle of microbial infallibility:

Martin Alexander of Cornell University in1965, stated:
“No natural organic compound is totally resistant to biodegradation provided that environmental conditions are favorable.”
Self-evidenced from the fact that we do not observe any large-scale accumulations of natural organic substances, only one is fossil fuels.

Why?

Because: Biopolymerization was slow and gradual through evolutionary time, allowing parallel evolution of bio-decomposition.
But human ingenuity outpaced microbial evolution, and the “fallibility” was proved.

Because of:

1. unusual substitutions (chlorine and other halogens)
2. unusual bonds or bond sequences (in tertiary and quaternary carbon atoms)
3. highly condensed aromatic rings
4. excessive molecular size (plastics)

2. What will happen if pollutants are not degraded or mineralized to benign compounds:

1. toxic to organisms including human
2. bio-accumulation through the food-chain/webs (DDT, for example, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring 1962)
3. deplete ozone layer
4. fill up landfills forever

3. What will happen if pollutant are degraded or mineralized:

1. intermediates may be harmful
2. some may be converted to other forms
3. every part is transformed into benign materials.

4. Issues of pollution: Let's make a list of them

4-1: Nutrient-related issues
Eutrophication--nutrients loss from soil
Nitrate in ground water -- methemoglobinemia