Journal of Microbiology

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'ts

Reductive Dechlorination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls as Affected by Natural Halogenated Aromatic Compounds: Jongseol Kim , Ahmi Lee , Yong-Suk Moon , Jae-Seong So , Sung-Cheol Koh; J. Microbiol. 2006;44(1):23-28.; DOI: https://doi.org/2341 [pii]

Abstract: We investigated the effects of halogenated aromatic compounds (HACs) including naturally occurring ones (L-thyroxine, 3-chloro-L-tyrosine, 5-chloroindole, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and chlorobenzene) on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dechlorination in sediment cultures. A PCB-dechlorinating enrichment culture of sediment microorganisms from the St. Lawrence River was used as an initial inoculum. When the culture was inoculated into Aroclor 1248 sediments amended with each of the six HACs, the extent of dechlorination was not enhanced by amendment with HACs. The dechlorination patterns in the HAC-amended sediments were nearly identical to that of the HAC-free sediments except the 3-chloro-L-tyrosine-amended ones where no dechlorination activity was observed. When these sediment cultures were transferred into fresh sediments with the same HACs, the dechlorination specificities remained the same as those of the initial inoculations. Thus, in the present study, the substrate range of the highly selected enrichment culture could not be broadened by the HACs. It appears that HACs affect PCB dechlorination mainly through population selection rather than enzyme induction of single population.

Effects of Sulfate Concentration on the Anaerobic Dechlorination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Estuarine Sediments: Young-Cheol Cho , Kyoung-Hee Oh; J. Microbiol. 2005;43(2):166-171.; DOI: https://doi.org/2167 [pii]

Abstract: In order to determine the effects of sulfate concentration on the anaerobic dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls, sediments spiked with Aroclor 1242 were made into slurries using media which had various sulfate concentrations ranging from 3 to 23 mM. The time course of dechlorination clearly demonstrated that dechlorination was inhibited at high concentration of sulfate due to less dechlorination of meta-substituted congeners. When the dechlorination patterns were analyzed by the calculation of Euclidean distance, the dechlorination pathway in the 3 mM sulfate samples was found to be different from that observed in the 13 mM samples, although the extent of dechlorination in these two samples was similar. It is possible that the dechlorination in the high sulfate concentration samples is inhibited by the suppression of growth of methanogen, which have been shown to be meta-dechlorinating microorganisms.

Effect of Moisture Content on Reductive Dechlorination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Population Dynamics of Dechlorinating Microorganisms: O-Seob Kwon , Young Eui Kim , Jong Gyu Park; J. Microbiol. 2001;39(3):195-201.

Abstract: The effect of moisture content on the reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls and population dynamics of dechlorinating microorganisms was investigated in sediments spiked with Aroclor 1248. In sediment slurry with an overlying water layer, dechlorination ensued after a 4-week lag period and reduced the average number of chlorines per biphenyl from 3.91 to 3.15 after 48 weeks. In the sediments of reduced moisture content, however, dechlorination occurred after a lag period of 12 weeks and decreased the average number of chlorines per biphenyl to only 3.62, and the dechlorination rate was also slower. When the population size of dechlorinators, methanogens, and sulfate-reducing bacteria was determined by the most probable number techniques, however, no difference was found between the slurry and the low-moisture sediments, except for methanogens. The growth of dechlorinating populations coincided with the end of the lag period and they then increased by 3 orders of magnitude in two conditions. Specific growth rate of dechlorinators showed little difference between the slurry and the low-moisture sediments; however, growth yield was high in the sediments of reduced moisture content. The reduction of sediment moisture decreased the dechlorination rate and extent of PCBs but did not inhibit the growth of PCB dechlorinators.

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