Biodegradation of chlorinated contaminants by Balok River sediment and characterization of its end metabolite

Abstract

Chlorinated contaminants are toxic organic contaminants that was commonly detected in the ground water source in Malaysia. Anaerobic biodegradation is one of the alternative techniques to assist in the breakdown of chlorinated contaminants into less toxic and biodegradable materials. The present study aimed to investigate the ability of Balok River sediment as biomaterial to anaerobically degrade chlorinated contaminants and to characterize the functional groups present before and after the degradation. Complete removal for 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP), chloroform (CF) and perchloroethylene (PCE) by the sediment was observed after several days. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) demonstrated the absence of chloride ion and formation of alkene functional groups after the 1,2-DCA biodegradation, implying that the degradation is via dichloroelimination mechanism. This study suggests that chlorinated contaminants can be successfully removed by incorporating Balok River sediment as the biomaterial.