COMPLETE DEGRADATION OF POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS BY A COMBINATION OFULTRAVIOLET AND BIOLOGICAL TREATMENTS

A method combining ultraviolet (UV) irradiation followed by microbial treatment was successfully applied to the efficient and complete degra dation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). By UV irradiation, most PC B congeners in a methanol solution were transformed into lesser chlori nated compounds containing less than three chlorines. The resultant UV -irradiated PCBs were then subjected to microbial degradation by Pseud omonas alcaligenes TK102, resulting in their complete degradation with in a week.