Mechanisms, chemistry and kinetics of the anaerobic biodegradation of cis-dichloroethylene and vinyl chloride. First annual progress report, September 15, 1996--September 14, 1997

'This three-year project is to study the anaerobic biological conversion of cis-1,2- dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl Chloride (VC) to ethene. The study is being conducted in three separate phases, the first to better understand the mechanisms involved in cDCE and VC biodegradation, the second to evaluate the chemistry of the processes involved, and the third, to study factors affecting reaction kinetics. Major funding is being provided by the US Department of Energy, but the DuPont Chemical Company has also agreed to directly cost-share on the project at a rate of $75,000 per year for the three year period. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are solvents that are among the most widely occurring organic groundwater contaminants. The biological anaerobic reduction-of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) such as PCE and TCE to cDCE and VC in groundwater was reported in the early 1980s. Further reduction of PCE and its intermediates to ethene was reported in 1989. Several pure cultures of anaerobic bacteria have been found to reductively dehalogenate PCE to cDCE Rates of reduction of PCE and TCE to cDCE are high and the need for electron donor addition for the reactions is small. However, the subsequent reduction of cDCE to VC, and then of VC to the harmless end product, ethene, is much slower and only recently has a pure culture been reported that is capable of reducing cDCE to VC or VC to ethene. There are numerous. reports of such conversions in mixed cultures. The reduction of cDCE and VC to ethene is where basic research is most needed and is the subject of this study.