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Mechanisms Involving the Aerobic Biodegradation of PCB in the Environment

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Biotechnology for the Environment: Strategy and Fundamentals

Part of the book series: Focus on Biotechnology ((FOBI,volume 3A))

Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are among the most persistent environmental contaminants known. Because they are comprised of 60 to 80 congeners, they present a more formidable challenge to microorganisms than a single compound. Remediation strategies are still in the research and development phase although promise has been demonstrated with a few limited field trials. The current paradigm is that aerobic biodegradation is generally limited to PCB mixtures having an average mass percentage of 42% chlorine (e.g. Aroclor 1242). Although metabolism of higher chlorinated congeners (e.g. hexachlorobiphenyls) has been demonstrated in cultures grown with biphenyl, the process has, so far, not been implemented in soils and sediments contaminated by Aroclors 1254 (54% Cl) or 1260 (60% Cl). These more highly chlorinated congeners, nevertheless, undergo slow reductive dehalogenation in flooded soils and sediments to less chlorinated congeners, which would be susceptible to aerobic biodegradation. Coupled anaerobic and aerobic metabolism in sediments is probably how biodegradation of highly chlorinated congeners occurs in sediments. Recent studies have shown that addition of brominated analogs (Wu et al., 1999) or ferrous sulphate (Zwiernik et al., 1998) enhances dehalogenation of PCBs. However, the organisms involved in anaerobic dehalogenation have not been isolated, and this has complicated the task of understanding and manipulating the process to our advantage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Riverside, CA, USA

    Dennis D. Focht

  2. SuperGen, Dublin, CA, USA

    Michael V. McCullar

  3. Michigan State University, MI, USA

    Denise B. Searles

  4. Korea Maritime University, Pusan, Korea

    Sung-Cheol Koh

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  1. Dennis D. Focht
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  2. Michael V. McCullar
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  3. Denise B. Searles
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  4. Sung-Cheol Koh
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  1. Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Spiros N. Agathos

  2. Bergische Universität, Wuppertal, Germany

    Walter Reineke

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Focht, D.D., McCullar, M.V., Searles, D.B., Koh, SC. (2002). Mechanisms Involving the Aerobic Biodegradation of PCB in the Environment. In: Agathos, S.N., Reineke, W. (eds) Biotechnology for the Environment: Strategy and Fundamentals. Focus on Biotechnology, vol 3A. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0357-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0357-5_13

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