Aerobic degradation of trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and aromatic compounds by Rhodococci species

Aromatic and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons are frequent contaminants of ground waters, which often are found together in mixtures contaminating the environment. Contamination of the ground water with these compounds poses serious health threats due to their carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Recently, studies have described the ability of microbes to biotransform aromatic and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons into harmless compounds, such as carbon dioxide. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the ability of two type IV actinomycetes isolated from a trichloroethylene degrading consortium and Rhodococcus rhodochrous to degrade aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride were mineralized by the three isolates. Other chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as methylene chloride, vinylidine chloride, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane were degraded by the isolates. In addition, a variety of aliphatic, aromatic, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons were also degraded by the isolates and many of these hydrocarbons served as an energy and carbon source for the isolates. The ability to degrade a mixture of aromatic and chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons was tested and the isolates degraded 11 out of 13 compounds. The isolates were shown to be catabolically versatile since they degraded many different types of hydrocarbons.