Enhancement of co-metabolism of chlorobenzoates by the co-substrate enrichment technique.

Chlorinated benzoates were degraded by bacteria contained in an activated sludge inoculum by a co-metabolic mechanism. This decomposition began after an initial lag period of 4 days and accounted for 63 to 69% degradation in 28 days. The co-substrate enrichment technique, using glucose as co-substrate, increased both the rate of microbial decomposition of the benzoates and the total amount of substituted aromatic compounds degraded.