Degradation and total mineralization of monohalogenated biphenyls in natural sediment and mixed bacterial culture.

Mixed bacterial cultures obtained from polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated river sediments are capable of degrading monohalogenated biphenyls under simulated natural conditions. Culture conditions include river water as supportive medium and mixed bacterial cultures obtained from river sediments. Degradation occurs when the substrates are supplied as the sole carbon source or when added together with glucose. The degradation rates of 2-, 3-, and 4-chlorobiphenyl, at 30 micrograms ml-1, were 1.1, 1.6, and 2.0 micrograms ml-1 day-1, respectively. Monobrominated biphenyls, including 2-, 3-, and 4-bromobiphenyl, were degraded at rates of 2.3, 4.2, and 1.4 micrograms ml-1 day-1, respectively. Metabolites, including halogenated benzoates, were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. By using chlorophenyl ring-labeled monochlorobiphenyls as substrates, total mineralization (defined as CO2 production from the chlorophenyl ring) was observed for 4-chlorobiphenyl but not for 2-chlorobiphenyl. Rates of total mineralization of 4-chlorobiphenyl (at 39 to 385 micrograms ml-1 levels) were dependent on substrate concentration, whereas variation of cell number in the range of 10(5) to 10(7) cells ml-1 had no significant effects. Simulated sunlight enhanced the rate of mineralization by ca. 400%.