PCB biodegradation: Laboratory studies transitioned into the field

Conference · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:141351

Abramowicz, D A ^[1]

---

1. GE Corporate Research and Development Center, Schenectady, NY (United States)

Two distinct bacterial systems are known to be involved in PCB biotransformations. Both aerobic PCB biodegradation (Oxidative attack) and anaerobic PCB dechlorination (reductive attack) have been demonstrated in the laboratory. These results have been successfully reproducted in recent experiments performed in aquatic sediments. In 1991, GE performed a large scale test of in situ aerobic PCB biodegradation in the Upper Hudson River. The experiments involved six sealed caissons (six feet in diameter) lowered into Aroclor 1242 contaminated sediments that had already undergone extensive anaerobic PCB dechlorination. Stimulation of indigenous PCB-degrading microorganisms resulted in >50% biodegradation over 10 weeks. A large scale stimulation of in situ anaerobic PCB dechlorination in Housatonic River sediments contaminated with untransformed Aroclor 1260 was initiated in 1992. The experiments similarly involve six sealed caissons (six feet in diameter) lowered into contaminated sediments to investigate new methods developed to accelerate PCB dechlorination in the field. Preliminary results from this ongoing field test will be discussed.

• OSTI ID: 141351
• Report Number(s): CONF-930304--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROBIC DIGESTION
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BIODEGRADATION
DECHLORINATION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FIELD TESTS
HUDSON RIVER
LAND POLLUTION CONTROL
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
REMEDIAL ACTION
SEDIMENTS
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL