FACTORS TO PROMOTE DECHLORINATION OF ACCUMULATED VINYL CHLORIDE IN DECHLORINATION OF CHRORINATED ETHYLENES

Abstract

 It is important to prevent accumulation of toxic intermediates in dechlorination and detoxification of chlorinated ethylenes by bacteria. We attempted dechlorination of accumulated vinylchloride, an intermediate product of chlorinated ethylene dechlorination, in enriched culture. Dechlorination of vinyl chloride only occurred when it was coupled with cis-dichloroethylene dechlorination, and it was the cause of vinyl chloride accumulation. Intermittent addition of hydrogen showed no effect on dechlorination, except when the dechlorination competed with sulfate reduction. When sulfate was abundant in the culture, vinylchloride dechlorination did not occur even in the presence of cis-dichloroethylene. Hydrogen depletion may hinder vinylchloride dechlorination under such condition.