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2279245 
Technical Report 
Biodegradation of TFM in a cyclone fermentor system 
Liu, D; Fox, ME 
1980 
PESTAB/81/2137 
Biodeterioration 
Pitman Publ. Ltd.: London 
Biodeterioration 
PESTAB. The use of a modified glass cyclone fermentor to investigate the relative biodegradation rate of the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) under different laboratory environmental conditions was investigated. The cyclone fermentor comprised 3 main components: a cyclone column, a circulating pump, and a recirculation condenser. These formed a loop around which the culture circulated. A 1% stock solution of TFM was prepared and added to bring the contents of the fermentor system up to 15 mg/l TFM. Under aerobic conditions TFM remained essentially unchanged despite the fact that an abundance of microbial growth was noted in the co-metabolite fermentor. TFM effectively blocked the respiratory chain reactions of the aerobic microorganisms and thus prevented any degrading action. Under anaerobic conditions TFM rapidly biodegraded to 3-trifluoromethyl-4-aminophenol (RTFM); 90% was degraded in 30 days when glucose was the co-metabolite. Without glucose biodegradation was slowed to 89% in 46 days. Experimentation was done to demonstrate that TFM actually was biodegraded and not tied up with the cell matter, as TFM can be absorbed on sediment.