Biodegradation of coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls by anaerobic microorganisms from estuarine sediments

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 39; no. 9; pp. 1445 - 1458
• Main Authors: Kuo, Cham-en, Liu, Shiu-Mei, Liu, Chiareiy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.10.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anaerobiosis; anoxic estuarine sediments; Applied sciences; Biodegradation; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Biotechnology; biphenyl; coplanar congeners; dechlorination; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Environmental Pollutants - pharmacokinetics; Estuaries; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Marine; non-planar congeners; PCBs; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - pharmacokinetics; Sediments; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Microbiology; Taiwan; Taiwan, Erjen R; Tween 20; Asia; Taiwan; Taiwan, Tansui R; Tween 20; PCBs; coplanar congeners; biphenyl; anoxic estuarine sediments; dechlorination; non-planar congeners; Anaerobiosis; Biodegradation; Microbial activity; Biodegradability; Pollutant behavior; Estuaries; Surfactant; Sediments; Polychlorobiphenyl; Dechlorination; Pollution; Decontamination; Organochlorine compounds; Chlorine Organic compounds; Aromatic compound; Bioremediation; Performance
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(99)00046-6

In this study, we investigated the biodegradability of biphenyl and 5 congeners (one non-planar and four coplanar) of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). Biphenyl, the non-planar congener 2,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorobiphenyl (25–34 CB), and the four coplanar congeners 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (34-34 CB), 3,4,4′,5-tetrachlorobiphenyl (345-4 CB), 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (345-34 CB), and 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (345–345 CB) were amended at a concentration of 10 mg/L into anoxic sediment slurries collected from the estuaries of the Tansui River and the Eden River. During 2 years' incubation under sulfidogenic conditions, biphenyl was persistent, while all other chlorinated congeners, except for 345–345 CB, were dechlorinated with or without a lag period in sediment slurries collected from both rivers. Dechlorination of coplanar and non-planar congeners began with para chlorine removal. All para chlorines from the mono-, di-, and trichlorobiphenyl groups could be removed by sediment slurries from both rivers. Microbial communities in sediment from the Eden River additionally fostered meta-dechlorination activity, but only after removal of all the para chlorines. Addition of Tween 20 (0.05%, v/v) into sediment slurries from the Tansui River did not enhance dechlorination rates or extents, but the addition of toluene- or 3-chlorobenzoate-adapted sediments enhanced dechlorination of 34-34 CB and 345-4 CB.