Dehalococcoides

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Dehalococcoides is the genus of bacteria that is responsible for the biological dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes. Its population in groundwater is critical to encouraging the biodegradation and remediation of dense-non-aqueous-phase-liquids (DNAPL) contaminated sites. Groundwater remediation processes are often stalled if the population of dehalococcoides is not sufficient enough. There are other dechlorinating microbes that are also responsible for degrading tetrachloroethane (PCE) to trichloroethane (TCE) to 1,2-Dichloroethene (1,2-DCE). Unfortunately, these other microbes often fail to continue the degradation process onward to vinyl chloride (VC), and finally to ethene. Since this is the process that dehalococcoides is responsible for (1,2-DCE to VC to Ethene), its presence in the groundwater of a DNAPL contaminated site is imperative to properly bioremediate the site.

There are many complexities to the environmental remediation of DNAPL contaminated sites. There are processes that are often used while remediating a site beyond biodegredation, which can include biostimulation and bioaugmentation. Additionally, it should be known that there are other non-biological remediation options that exist too, and are usually explored on a site by site basis to determine the most effective solution for each specific site. One recent use of dehalococcoides includes the remediation of potential PCB dredge sites (see http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Bacterium_Could_Treat_PCBs_Without_The_Need_For_Dredging_999.html).