Degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls by two species of Achromobacter

Abstract

Two species of Achromobacter were isolated from sewage effluent using biphenyl (BP) and p-chlorobiphenyl (pCB) respectively as sole carbon sources. Achromobacter BP grown on biphenyl accumulated a product with an ultraviolet absorption maximum at 257 nm which could not be identified. Washed cell suspensions of both isolates oxidized biphenyl, o-phenylphenol, phenylpyruvate, catechol, p-chlorobiphenyl, m-chlorobiphenyl, o-chlorobiphenyl, o,o′-dichlorobiphenyl, and p,p′-dichlorobiphenyl. Both isolates produced meta cleavage products by fission of the benzene ring. However, spectral characteristics of degradation products from respective substrates were different between the two isolates, indicating divergent degradation pathways. Benzoic and p-chlorobenzoic acids were produced from the degradation of BP and pCB, respectively, by Achromobacter pCB. Chloride was not produced by either isolate during the degradation of all chlorobiphenyls tested including the growth of Achromobacter pCB on p-chlorobiphenyl.