Abstract
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), common industrial solvents, are among the most frequent contaminants found in groundwater supplies. Due to the potential toxicity and carcinogenicity of chlorinated ethylenes, knowledge about their transformation potential is important in evaluating their environmental fate. The results of this study confirm that PCE can be transformed by reductive dehalogenation to TCE, dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride (VC) under anaerobic conditions. In addition, [14C]PCE was at least partially mineralized to CO2. Mineralization of 24% of the PCE occurred in a continuous-flow fixed-film methanogenic column with a liquid detention time of 4 days. TCE was the major intermediate formed, but traces of dichloroethylene isomers and VC were also found. In other column studies under a different set of methanogenic conditions, nearly quantitative conversion of PCE to VC was found. These studies clearly demonstrate that TCE and VC are major intermediates in PCE biotransformation under anaerobic conditions and suggest that potential exists for the complete mineralization of PCE to CO2 in soil and aquifer systems and in biological treatment processes.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bouwer E. J., McCarty P. L. Transformations of 1- and 2-carbon halogenated aliphatic organic compounds under methanogenic conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Apr;45(4):1286–1294. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.4.1286-1294.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Giannovario J. A., Grob R. L., Rulon P. W. Analysis of trace pollutants in the air by means of cryogenic gas chromatography. J Chromatogr. 1976 Jun 23;121(2):285–294. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(00)85025-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Graydon J. W., Grob K., Zuercher F., Giger W. Determination of highly volatile organic contaminants in water by the closed-loop gaseous stripping technique followed by thermal desorption of the activated carbon filters. J Chromatogr. 1984 Mar 2;285(2):307–318. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(01)87772-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stucki G., Krebser U., Leisinger T. Bacterial growth on 1,2-dichloroethane. Experientia. 1983 Nov 15;39(11):1271–1273. doi: 10.1007/BF01990365. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Young J. C., McCarty P. L. The anaerobic filter for waste treatment. J Water Pollut Control Fed. 1969 May;41(Suppl):R160+–R160+. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]