Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1990 Aug;56(8):2488–2493. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.8.2488-2493.1990

Toxicity of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane and Trichloroethene on a Mixed Culture of Methane-Oxidizing Bacteria

Kim Broholm 1,*, Bjørn K Jensen 1, Thomas H Christensen 1, Lajla Olsen 1
PMCID: PMC184753  PMID: 16348260

Abstract

The influence of trichloroethene (TCE; 0 to 65 mg/liter) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA; 0 to 103 mg/liter) on methane consumption of a mixed culture of methane-oxidizing bacteria was studied in laboratory batch experiments. Increasing concentrations of TCE or 1,1,1-TCA resulted in decreasing methane consumption. Methane consumption was totally inhibited at a concentration of 13 mg of TCE per liter, while methane consumption was still observed at the upper studied concentration of 103 mg of 1,1,1-TCA per liter. The inhibition of methane consumption by TCE depended on the initial concentration of methane. A model accounting for competitive inhibition between methane and TCE or 1,1,1-TCA was used to simulate methane consumption at various concentrations of TCE or 1,1,1-TCA. The simulations indicated that competitive inhibition may be the mechanism causing the inhibitory effect of TCE on methane consumption, while this does not seem to be the case for 1,1,1-TCA.

Full text

PDF
2488

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bradford M. M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248–254. doi: 10.1006/abio.1976.9999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ferenci T., Strom T., Quayle J. R. Oxidation of carbon monoxide and methane by Pseudomonas methanica. J Gen Microbiol. 1975 Nov;91(1):79–91. doi: 10.1099/00221287-91-1-79. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fliermans C. B., Phelps T. J., Ringelberg D., Mikell A. T., White D. C. Mineralization of trichloroethylene by heterotrophic enrichment cultures. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Jul;54(7):1709–1714. doi: 10.2172/666263. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fogel M. M., Taddeo A. R., Fogel S. Biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes by a methane-utilizing mixed culture. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Apr;51(4):720–724. doi: 10.1128/aem.51.4.720-724.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Harwood J. H., Pirt S. J. Quantitative aspects of growth of the methane oxidizing bacterium Methylococcus capsulatus on methane in shake flask and continuous chemostat culture. J Appl Bacteriol. 1972 Dec;35(4):597–607. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1972.tb03741.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Henschler D., Hoos W. R., Fetz H., Dallmeier E., Metzler M. Reactions of trichloroethylene epoxide in aqueous systems. Biochem Pharmacol. 1979;28(4):543–548. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(79)90251-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LONGMUIR I. S. Respiration rate of bacteria as a function of oxygen concentration. Biochem J. 1954 May;57(1):81–87. doi: 10.1042/bj0570081. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Little C. D., Palumbo A. V., Herbes S. E., Lidstrom M. E., Tyndall R. L., Gilmer P. J. Trichloroethylene biodegradation by a methane-oxidizing bacterium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1988 Apr;54(4):951–956. doi: 10.1128/aem.54.4.951-956.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Strand S. E., Shippert L. Oxidation of chloroform in an aerobic soil exposed to natural gas. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1986 Jul;52(1):203–205. doi: 10.1128/aem.52.1.203-205.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Whittenbury R., Phillips K. C., Wilkinson J. F. Enrichment, isolation and some properties of methane-utilizing bacteria. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 May;61(2):205–218. doi: 10.1099/00221287-61-2-205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Wilkinson T. G., Harrison D. E. The affinity for methane and methanol of mixed cultures grown on methane in continuous culture. J Appl Bacteriol. 1973 Jun;36(2):309–313. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1973.tb04107.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Wilkinson T. G., Topiwala H. H., Hamer G. Interactions in a mixed bacterial population growing on methane in continuous culture. Biotechnol Bioeng. 1974 Jan;16(1):41–59. doi: 10.1002/bit.260160105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wilson J. T., Wilson B. H. Biotransformation of trichloroethylene in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Jan;49(1):242–243. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.1.242-243.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES