ISOLATION OF A NOVEL PENTACHLOROPHENOL-DEGRADING BACTERIUM, PSEUDOMONAS SP. BU34

A pentachlorophenol (PCP)-degrading bacterium was isolated from possib le PCP-contaminated soil from Pusan, Korea and identified as a member of the genus Pseudomonas. It used PCP as its sole source of carbon and energy. This micro-organism was capable of degrading PCP more effecti vely, certified by the increase in cell density and the decrease in PC P substrate. Pseudomonas sp. Bu34 was able to degrade a much higher co ncentration of PCP (4000 mg l(-1)) than any previously reported PCP-de grading bacteria and fungi and to grow in mineral salts solution conta ining one of a variety of chlorophenols. In non-acclimated strain Bu34 , the cell number decreased from 87 to 99.9% in 75-4000 mg l(-1) PCP a t 24 h. In the acclimated strain the PCP toxic effect did not appear w ith 75 mg l(-1) PCP treatment, but 1000-4000 mg l(-1) PCP decreased th e cell number of strain Bu34 by 25% to 24 h and then the cell number s lightly increased at 48 h. Therefore, it suggested that the maximum re sistance of acclimated strain Bu34 to PCP was 4000 mg l(-1) PCP. We su ggest that strain Bu34 could be used as a micro-organism for the biore mediation of highly PCP-contaminated soils, water or wood products.