Abstract
An anaerobic microbial consortium reductively dechlorinating 1,1-dichloroethane (DCA) to chloroethane (CA) was enriched from the sediment of Hudson River, New York. The consortium used hydrogen, formate, acetate, benzoate and fumarate as electron donors for reductive dechlorination. Pyruvate fermentation occurred in the enrichment culture, although this compound was not used as an electron donor for dechlorination. Among other halogenated compounds tested, only DCA was reductively dechlorinated. Sulfite could completely inhibit DCA dechlorination, whereas sulfate, nitrate or fumarate had no effect. Growth by reductive dechlorination with hydrogen as electron donor was revealed by a cell yield of (4402±1241)g of cells (dry weight) per mole of chloride released. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplified from a highly enriched culture with H2 as electron donor suggests that Dehalobacter species dominated the enrichment culture under dechlorination conditions.
Abstract
An anaerobic microbial consortium reductively dechlorinating 1,1-dichloroethane (DCA) to chloroethane (CA) was enriched from the sediment of Hudson River, New York. The consortium used hydrogen, formate, acetate, benzoate and fumarate as electron donors for reductive dechlorination. Pyruvate fermentation occurred in the enrichment culture, although this compound was not used as an electron donor for dechlorination. Among other halogenated compounds tested, only DCA was reductively dechlorinated. Sulfite could completely inhibit DCA dechlorination, whereas sulfate, nitrate or fumarate had no effect. Growth by reductive dechlorination with hydrogen as electron donor was revealed by a cell yield of (4402±1241)g of cells (dry weight) per mole of chloride released. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplified from a highly enriched culture with H2 as electron donor suggests that Dehalobacter species dominated the enrichment culture under dechlorination conditions.