Effects of organic substrates on dechlorination of Aroclor 1242 in anaerobic sediments

Abstract

The effects of different organic substrates on the abilities of anaerobic sediment enrichments to reductively dechlorinate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were studied. Sediments collected from a site previously contaminated with PCBs were dosed with additional PCBs (Aroclor 1242; approximately 300 ppm [300 μg/m], sediment dry weight) and incubated anaerobically with acetate, acetone, methanol, or glucose. The pattern of dechlorination was similar for each substrate-fed batch; however, the extents and rates of dechlorination were different. Significant dechlorination over time was observed, with the relative rates and extents of dechlorination being greatest for methanol-, glucose-, and acetone-fed batches and least for acetate-fed batches. Dechlorination occurred primarily on the meta- and para- positions of the highly chlorinated congeners, resulting in the accumulation of less-chlorinated, primarily ortho-substituted products. No significant dechlorination was observed in incubation batches receiving no additional organic substrate, even though identical inorganic nutrients were added to all incubation batches. In addition, dechlorination was not observed in autoclaved controls that received substrate and nutrients.