Tetrachloroethene transformation to trichloroethene and cis-1,2-dichloroethene by sulfate-reducing enrichment cultures

Abstract

Tetrachloroethene, also known as perchloroethylene, was reductively dechlorinated to trichloroethene and cis-1,2-dichloroethene by laboratory sulfate-reducing enrichment cultures. The causative organism or group was not identified. However, tetrachloroethene was dechlorinated to trichloroethene in 50 mM bromoethane-sulfonate-inhibited enrichments and to trichloroethene and cis-1,2-dichloroethene in 3 mM fluoroacetate-inhibited enrichments. Overall transformation varied from 92% tetrachloroethene removal in 13 days to 22% removal in 65 days, depending on conditions of the inoculum, inhibitor used, and auxiliary substrate used. Neither lactate, acetate, methanol, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, succinic acid, nor hydrogen appeared directly to support tetrachloroethene dechlorination, although lactate-fed inocula demonstrated longer-term dechlorinating capability.