Degradation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Contaminated Soil with Horsredish Peroxidase and Peroxidase from White Redish Raphanus Sativus

Abstract

White-rot fungi have been found to be useful organisms for the decontamination of toxic materials like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These microorganisms use certain peroxidases to degrade chlorinated as well as nonchlorinated biphenyl systems. Not only fungal peroxidases but also plant peroxidase are able to degrade PCBs. In our experiments we investigated horseradish peroxidase as well radish juice as peroxidase source for the degradation of PCBs in a highly polluted soil (12 ppm PCBs). In both cases degradation of PCBs was observed. The PCB content decreased to 25 % of the initial concentration. Dichloro-, trichloro-, tetrachloro- and pentachlorobiphenyls were degraded to different low and medium concentrations, whereas the content of hexachloro-, and heptachlorobiphenyls were not decreased.