Characterization of two bacteria isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in South Africa for aerobic dehalogenation of some aliphatic chlorinated compounds

Abstract

Two bacteria with the ability to utilize some short‐chain aliphatic chlorinated compounds were isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in South Africa and identified as belonging to the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. Their specific growth rate constants in the compounds ranged between 0.414 and 1.048 d− 1, while the maximum specific substrate utilization rate ranged variously between 25.668 and 57.429 nmol/h/mg of protein. Dehalogenases produced by these organisms demonstrated wide substrate specificities with optimum activities of 285.0 and 345.7 mU/mg protein at a pH levels of 7.5 and 9.0, respectively. This treatment plant could therefore be a good source of organisms that may be applicable for possible bioremediation of sites polluted with this group of compounds.