Biological degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons

Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC) have been produced an an industrial scale si nce the 1920's and 1930's and are frequently used as solvents, extractants, and disinfectants, Because their low biodegradability they are often enric hed in the food chains of animals, resulting in high mortality, It is there fore necessary to prevent the discharge of CHC's into water, air, and soil. They are often not biodegraded in municipal or industrial activated sludge plants or in trickling filters, Until harmless substitutes become widely a vailable, CHC's will continue to pose a threat and must be eliminated from all effluents before entering wastewater treatment plants. Information abou t specific: conditions for anaerobic and aerobic: biodegradation of selecte d CHC's is given below, Two topics will be discussed in greater detail: the kinetics of dechlorination and mineralization and some examples of the rea ction engineering process in lab and pilot scale.