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Science 10 December 1982:
Vol. 218. no. 4577, pp. 1115 - 1117
DOI: 10.1126/science.218.4577.1115
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Articles

Dehalogenation: A Novel Pathway for the Anaerobic Biodegradation of Haloaromatic Compounds

JOSEPH M. SUFLITA 1, AMIKAM HOROWITZ 1, DANIEL R. SHELTON 1, and JAMES M. TIEDJE 1

1 Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824

Microorganisms of lake sediment and sewage sludge anaerobically metabolized halobenzoates by a novel pathway. The primary degradative event was loss of the aryl halide without the alteration of the aromatic ring. Dehalogenation required strict anaerobic conditions and depended on the halogen and position, but not the number of halogen substituents. A stable methanogenic bacterial consortium was enriched from sludge and found capable of dehalogenating and often mineralizing a variety of halobenzoates to CH4 and CO2. The results suggest that reductive dehalogenation of aromatics could be important in removal of some chlorinated xenobiotics from the environment.

Submitted on May 17, 1982
Revised on July 16, 1982


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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