US EPA

1036990 

Journal Article 

Complete dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to ethene in presence of methanogenesis and acetogenesis by an anaerobic sediment microcosm 

Aulenta, F; Majone, M; Verbo, P; Tandoi, V 

2002 

Yes 

Biodegradation
ISSN: 0923-9820
EISSN: 1572-9729 

Biodegradation 

13 

6 

411-424 

English 

12713133 

10.1023/a:1022868712613 

WOS:000181689700006 

http://://WOS:000181689700006
Exit
 

An anaerobic consortium taken from brackish sediments, enriched by PCE/CH3OH sequential feeding, was capable of completely dechlorinating tetrachloroethene (PCE) to ethene (ETH). In batch experiments, PCE (0.5 mM) was dechlorinated to ethene (ETH) in approximately 75 h with either CH3OH or H2 as the electron donor. When VC (0.5 mM) was added instead of PCE it was dechlorinated without any initial lag by the PCE/CH3OH enriched consortium, although at a lower dechlorination rate. In batch tests H2 could readily replace CH3OH for supporting PCE dechlorination, with a similar PCE dechlorination rate and product distribution with respect to those observed with methanol. This indicates that H2 production during CH3OH fermentation was not the rate-limiting step of PCE or VC dechlorination. Acetogenesis was the predominant activity when methanol was present. A remarkable homoacetogenic activity was also observed when hydrogen was supplied instead of methanol. 

ethene; homoacetogenesis; reductive dechlorination; sediment microcosm; tetrachloroethene; vinyl chloride