Biodegradability of Chlorinated Aromatic Compounds
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SCIENCE DOSSIER Biodegradability of chlorinated aromatic compounds J. A. Field & R. Sierra-Alvarez University of Arizona July 2007 July 2007 - Science Dossier 12 This publication is the eleventh in a series of Science Dossiers providing the scientific community with reliable information on selected issues. If you require more copies, please send an email indicating name and mailing address to [email protected]. The document is also available as a PDF file on www.eurochlor.org Science Dossiers published in this series: 1. Trichloroacetic acid in the environment (March 2002) 2. Chloroform in the environment: Occurrence, sources, sinks and effects (May 2002) 3. Dioxins and furans in the environment (January 2003) 4. How chlorine in molecules affects biological activity (November 2003) 5. Hexachlorobutadiene – sources, environmental fate and risk characterisation (October 2004) 6. Natural organohalogens (October 2004) 7. Euro Chlor workshop on soil chlorine chemistry 8. Biodegradability of chlorinated solvents and related chlorinated aliphatic compounds (December 2004) 9. Hexachlorobenzene - Sources, environmental fate and risk characterisation (January 2005) 10. Long-range transport of chemicals in the environment (April 2006) 11. Pentachlorobenzene – Sources, environmental fate and risk characterization (July 2008) 12. Biodegradability of chlorinated aromatic compounds (July 2007) 13. Metallic mercury: the biological effects of long-time, low to moderate exposures 14. The origin and fate of mercury species in the environment Copyright & Reproduction The copyright in this publication belongs to Euro Chlor. No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or otherwise, without the permission of Euro Chlor. Notwithstanding these limitations, an extract may be freely quoted by authors in other publications subject to the source being acknowledged with inclusion of a suitable credit line or reference to the original publication. Table of Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................... 1 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 3 1 Chlorinated Benzoates ................................................................................................... 5 1.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 5 1.2. Biodegradation of chlorobenzoates .................................................................. 5 1.2.1. Degradation of chlorobenzoates in the environment ........................................ 5 1.2.2. Degradation of chlorobenzoates in engineered systems ................................. 6 1.3. Microbiology and biochemistry of chlorinated benzoate biodegradation ......... 7 1.3.1. Aerobic bacterial cometabolism of chlorinated benzoates ............................... 8 1.3.2. Aerobic bacterial growth on chlorinated benzoates as a sole source of carbon and energy ........................................................................................................ 8 1.3.3. Anaerobic utilization of chlorinated benzoates as a sole source of carbon and energy ............................................................................................................. 12 1.3.4. Anaerobic halorespiration of chlorinated benzoates ...................................... 13 1.4. Microbial kinetics of chlorinated benzoate biodegradation ............................. 14 2 Chlorophenols ............................................................................................................... 15 2.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 15 2.2. Biodegradation of chlorophenols .................................................................... 15 2.2.1. Degradation of chlorophenols in the environment .......................................... 15 2.2.2. Degradation of chlorophenols in engineered systems ................................... 17 2.3. Microbiology and biochemistry of chlorophenol biodegradation .................... 21 2.3.1. Aerobic bacterial cometabolism of chlorophenols .......................................... 21 2.3.2. Aerobic bacterial growth on chlorophenols as a sole source of carbon and energy ............................................................................................................. 22 2.3.3. Aerobic fungal degradation of chlorophenols ................................................. 28 2.3.4. Anaerobic biodegradation of chlorinated phenols .......................................... 29 2.3.5. Anaerobic metabolism of chlorophenols serving as carbon and energy source ............................................................................................................. 29 2.3.6. Anaerobic metabolism of chlorophenols by mixed cultures and enrichment cultures ........................................................................................................... 30 2.3.7. Halorespiration of chlorophenols .................................................................... 32 2.4. Kinetic data on chlorophenol degradation ...................................................... 33 3 Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins ............................................................................. 34 3.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 34 3.2. Biodegradation of Chlorinated Dioxins ........................................................... 34 3.2.1. Degradation of chlorinated dioxins in the environment .................................. 34 3.2.2. Biodegradation of chlorinated dioxins in engineered systems ....................... 35 3.3. Microbiology and biochemistry of chlorinated dioxin biodegradation ............. 37 3.3.1. Aerobic bacterial cometabolism of chlorinated dioxins .................................. 37 3.3.2. Aerobic bacterial growth utilizing chlorinated dioxins as a sole carbon and energy source ................................................................................................. 38 3.3.3. Aerobic fungal cometabolism of chlorinated dioxins ...................................... 41 3.3.4. Anaerobic reductive dechlorination of chlorinated dioxins ............................. 42 3.4. Kinetics of chlorinated dioxin biodegradation ................................................. 44 4 Chlorinated Benzenes .................................................................................................. 46 4.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................... 46 4.2. Biodegradation of Chlorobenzenes ................................................................ 46 4.2.1. Degradation of chlorobenzenes in the environment ....................................... 46 4.2.2. Biodegradation of chlorobenzenes in engineered systems ............................ 47 4.3. Microbiology and biochemistry of chlorobenzene biodegradation ................. 49 4.3.1. Aerobic bacterial cometabolism of chlorobenzenes ....................................... 49 4.3.2. Aerobic bacterial growth on chlorinated benzenes as sole carbon and energy source .............................................................................................................. 50 4.3.3. Degradation of chlorobenzenes by fungi......................................................... 51 4.3.4. Anaerobic cometabolism of chlorobenzenes .................................................. 51 4.3.5. Anaerobic metabolism of chlorobenzenes by enrichment cultures ................. 55 4.4. Microbial kinetics of chlorobenzene biodegradation ................................................ 58 5 Polychlorinated Biphenyls ........................................................................................... 59 5.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 59 5.2. Biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls ............................................................ 59 5.2.1. Biodegradation of PCBs in the environment ...................................................... 59 5.2.2. Biodegradation of PCB in engineered systems ................................................. 60 5.3. Microbiology and biochemistry of PCB biodegradation ............................................ 62 5.3.1. Aerobic bacterial cometabolism of PCBs ........................................................... 62 5.3.2. Aerobic bacterial growth on PCB as sole carbon and energy source ............. 64 5.3.3. Aerobic fungal cometabolism of PCBs ............................................................ 64 5.3.4. Anaerobic metabolism of PCBs ...................................................................... 65 5.4. Microbial kinetics of PCB biodegradation........................................................ 68 6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 70 References .......................................................................................................................... 73 Table of Annexes Table 1.1. Removal of chlorobenzoates in aerobic bioreactors