Biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes by a methane-utilizing mixed culture
Chlorinated ethenes are toxic substances which are widely distributed groundwater contaminants and are persistent in the subsurface environment. Reports on the biodegradation of these compounds under anaerobic conditions which might occur naturally in groundwater show that these substances degrade very slowly, if at all. Previous attempts to degrade chlorinated ethenes aerobically have produced conflicting results. A mixed culture containing methane-utilizing bacteria was obtained by methane enrichment of a sediment sample. Biodegradation experiments carried out in sealed culture bottles with radioactively labeled trichloroethylene (TCE) showed that approximately half of the radioactive carbon had been converted to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ and bacterial biomass. In addition to TCE, vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride could be degraded to products which are not volatile chlorinated substances and are therefore likely to be further degraded to CO/sub 2/. Two other chlorinated ethenes, cis and trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, were shown to degrade to chlorinated products, which appeared to degrade further. A sixth chlorinated ethene, tetrachloroethylene, was not degraded by the methane-utilizing culture under these conditions. The biodegradation of TCE was inhibited by acetylene, a specific inhibitor of methane oxidation by methanotrophs. This observation supported the hypothesis that a methanotroph is responsible for the observed biodegradations.
- Research Organization:
- Cambridge Analytical Associates, Inc., Boston, MA
- OSTI ID:
- 5842906
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 51:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
BIODEGRADATION
GROUND WATER
CONTAMINATION
METHANE
METABOLISM
ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
METHANOTROPHIC BACTERIA
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ALKANES
BACTERIA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
WATER
560302* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)
550501 - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)