Trimethyl lead degradation by free and immobilized cells of an Arthrobacter sp. and by the wood decay fungus Phaeolus schweinitzii.

The continuing production of leaded petrol generates liquid wastes containing recalcitrant trialkyl lead, for which no suitable chemical treatment has been formulated. This investigation explores the feasibility of using microorganisms to catalyse the rate-limiting step of trimethyl lead degradation to dialkyl lead; this disproportionates chemically to give, ultimately, Pb2+ which is treatable by classical methods. An Arthrobacter sp. and a wood decay macrofungus, Phaeolus schweinitzii provide novel evidence for metabolic trimethyl lead (Me3Pb+) degradation. The retention of this activity in immobilized cell column reactors challenged with Me3Pb(+)-supplemented flows suggests that a future biotreatment process may be possible.