Biodegradation of halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
InventorsJohn T. Wilson, Jr., Barbara H. Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Contaminating amounts of certain halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons are degraded and removed from water such as drinking water and industrial waste water, by treatment of the water with a microorganism that is effective to metabolize gaseous hydrocarbons by the action of monooxygenase enzyme.
Claims10
A process for the treatment of water which contains halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons to aerobically degrade said halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons, said halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons being one or more members selected from the group consisting of 1,1,2-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethylene, cis-1,2-di-chloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,2-dibromoethane, and vinyl chloride, the process comprising treating the water with a microorganism in the presence of a lower molecular weight alkane containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and oxygen, the microorganism comprising bacteria that can aerobically degrade low molecular weight alkanes by beginning their attack with the action of a monooxygenase to produce the corresponding alcohol, the bacteria acting to degrade said halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons to form products comprising carbon dioxide and water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.