Using trees to remediate groundwaters contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. 1997 annual progress report

Abstract

'Metabolism of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons Laboratory and field tests with poplar in tissue culture, bioreactors, and field sites have shown that, unlike bacteria, these plants are able to carry out complete degradation of fully chlorinated alkanes and alkenes to carbon dioxide and chloride. Carbon dioxide was produced as a product of the degradation of trichloroethylene (TCE), carbon tetrachloride (CT), and perchloroethylene (PCE) when axenic tissue cultures of poplar cells were exposed to radiolabelled compounds. The apparent degradation of PCE and CT, fully chlorinated hydrocarbons, in these aerobic plants is remarkable when contrasted to the lack of comparable aerobic degradation by bacteria. Oxidized metabolites, such as trichloroethanol, and di- and trichloroacetic acid, were detected in cell cultures exposed to TCE, suggesting the involvement of cytochrome P450s or other monooxygenase activities. Mass balance experiments with small poplar plants in laboratory reactors showed that significant TCE and CT was volatilized from the leaves, while a similar fraction of radiolabeled carbon from these chlorinated solvents was retained in the plant tissue.'