Biodegradation of chlorinated paraffins and long-chain chloroalkanes by Rhodococcus sp S45-1

A strain of the genus Rhodococcus, designated isolate S45-1, was isolated f rom an environmental water sample by enrichment, using the chlorinated para ffin Cereclor S45 as the sole carbon and energy source. This is the first r eport of microbial utilisation of chlorinated paraffins as sole source of c arbon and energy. Biochemical studies of isolate S45-1 revealed little simi larity with other Rhodococcus species. Isolate S45-1 was able to utilise 1- chloroalkanes of chain-length 12-18C as sole source of carbon and energy. G as chromatography-mass spectrometry of the reaction medium indicated that g amma-butyrolactone was formed as a product of 1-chlorotetradecane metabolis m. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.