Reductive dechlorination of preexisting sediment polychlorinated biphenyls with long-term laboratory incubation
- State Univ. of New York, Albany, NY (United States). School of Public Health
The dechlorination potential of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated sediments from the St. Lawrence River was investigated in laboratory incubations over a 39-month period. During the first 4 months, dechlorination reduced the average total chlorines in the General Motors 001 sediments from 3.2 to 2.5 per biphenyl, an additional 22% beyond the in situ level, for an overall 36% reduction from the original Aroclor 1248 contaminant. With continued incubation, however, an additional dechlorination of a single peak 2,4{prime},5+2,4,4{prime}-chlorobiphenyl ensured after a lag that reduced the average chlorines from 2.5 to 2.4. After this, there was no further transformation until the end of incubation. The extent of dechlorination and congener pattern of Aroclor 1248-spiked sediments were similar to those of the native sediments after a comparable period of time despite differences in sediment sources and starting congener composition. The results indicate that most dechlorination occurs during a relatively short period of the initial rapid phase and any further transformation, if it occurs, would be extremely slow, and its contribution to the total dechlorination may not be significant.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 292930
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 17, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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