LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY STUDY OF DEGRADATION AND METABOLISM OF PENTACHLORONITROBENZENE BY 4 SOIL MICROMYCETES

The pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) biodegradation by four soil micromy cetes, Mucor racemosus, Sporothrix cyanescens, Paecilomyces farinosus and Pithomyces chartarum was studied after 24 h and 120 h. Quantitatio n of PCNB and identification of its metabolites were monitored by LC a nalysis of the culture media on a 5 mu m Adsorbosphere HS C-18 column with methanol/water (93:7) pH 3.5 (1.0 ml/min) and UV detection at 301 nm The extraction process of PCNB and its metabolites was performed o n an Extrelut(R) cartridge with ethyl acetate as eluent. Strains were able to degrade PCNB with high efficiency. Five metabolites were ident ified : pentachloroaniline, tetrachloroaniline, pentachlorothiophenol, pentachlorothioanisole and pentachloroanisole. Based on our findings, three metabolic pathways were retained. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier S cience Ltd