Anaerobic dechlorination and the bioremediation of PCBs

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Preprints; (USA)

OSTI ID:6538223

Quensen, III, J F; Boyd, S A; Tiedje, J M ^[1]

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1. Michigan State Univ., East Lansing (USA)

The recently discovered process of biologically mediated reductive dechlorination of PCBs promises to overcome some of the limitations of aerobic PCB biodegradation. This process, first suspected from the altered chromatographic pattern observed for Hudson River sediment samples, has been duplicated in the laboratory. The process removes meta and para chlorines, resulting in a PCB mixture that is both less toxic and more aerobically degradable. It is active at higher PCB concentrations (at least 5,000 ppm), and does not require induction by biphenyl or a monochlorinated biphenyl. The literature on the aerobic biodegradation of PCBs is briefly reviewed for the purpose of pointing out the limitations of aerobic PCB degradation that an anaerobic pretreatment can be expected to overcome, and the results of our own research on the reductive dechlorination of PCBs is summarized.

• OSTI ID: 6538223
• Report Number(s): CONF-900402--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: American Chemical Society, Division of Environmental Chemistry, Preprints; (USA) Journal Volume: 30:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS
AROMATICS
BIPHENYL
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECHLORINATION
DEHALOGENATION
DOCUMENT TYPES
HYDROCARBONS
MEASURING METHODS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCEEDINGS
REVIEWS