Abstract
Mycobacterium spp. strains TA5 and TA27 (ethane-utilizing bacteria), which can degrade trichloroethylene (TCE) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA), were isolated from soil. Both bacteria could cometabolically degrade dichloromethane, chloroform, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-TCA, 1,1,2-TCA, 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, and TCE with ethane as a carbon source. They could not degrade carbon tetrachloride, freon 113, or tetrachloroethylene. The TCE degradation characteristics of strain TA27 were determined. Under a head-space gas containing 3% ethane, strain TA27 degraded more than 95% of TCE at an initial concentration of 1 mg l–1 within 3 days. We observed good growth and TCE degradation between 25 and 35 °C. At an initial TCE concentration of 30 mg l–1, it degraded 30% of TCE within 7 days. Although growth was inhibited for more than 50 mg l–1 TCE at 3% ethane concentration, good growth and 50% degradation of TCE were observed at 12% ethane concentration within 14 days. High ethane concentration may mitigate the toxicity of TCE.
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Received: 24 January 2000 / Accepted: 10 March 2000
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Hashimoto, A., Iwasaki, K., Nakasugi, N. et al. Degradation of trichloroethylene and related compounds by Mycobacterium spp. isolated from soil. Clean Products and Processes 2, 167–173 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00011304
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00011304