NCD980602163_19800108_Warren County PCB Landfill_SERB C_PCB Degradation-OCR

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TO
FROM
James E. Blair
Lewis Pillis
DATE
SUBJECT
January 8, 1980
PCB Degradatjon
The experiment presented below demonstrates that Bi-
Chem bacteria are capable of degrading polychlorinated
biphenyls. In a shake flask study, Bi-Chem cultures
PCB 2204 and PCB 2203-5 degraded levels of 270 ppm Arochlor
1260 by 36%. Initially two flasks contained approximately
35 mgo Arochlor 1260 in 100 mlo of mineral salts broth,
(Curtis, 19~5), plus glucose (0 0 5g/1) trace metals, and g
trace of yeast extracto One flask was inoculated with tl1e •
acclimated PCB cultures while the other flask,.remaincd un-
inoculated to serve as a control. AI'tc-r six weeks of shak-
ing (control not shaken), the flasks were analyzed and found
to contain the following concentrations of Arochlor 1260:
Control
Treated
27.3 mg-. /\rochlor 1260
17.5 mg. Arochlor 1260
This amounts to a 36% reduction in the concentration of
Arochlor 1260 in the treated flask. ...
Aroch lors 12'18 a ncl l 2!i'1 were :ll so H<'1 up in the samt'
manner. However, /\rochlnr dc!U~r111i11:itions W<'l'e not mad1• 011
these because they aprwa,·c~d 1 o ht1 l':11· lc•ss sol uhle j 11 t h1·
'media than /\rocltlor l/4(iO. '1'l1is w:,s :tpp:i1·1•nt llt'C:1llSC.' /\l'ot'_il -
lors 1248 and 1254 remained in a bead in the bottom of thL'
flasks after three weeks shaking. Arochlor 1260 did not
exhibit this tendency and therefore appeared solubl~.
Chromatograph printouts and Arochlor extracts from the
d~terminations are being retained by Centcc Analytical Ser-
vices for our convenience •
BIOCHEMICAL CORPORATION OF AMERICA/ SUBSIDIARY OF SYBRON CORPORATION/ BOX 808. s· .• EM. VA Z41 S3 I (703) 3a9-9361