Dechlorination of PCBs in oil transformers by microwaves catalysed by Fe, glycerol, and NaOH.

Dechlorination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), carcinogenic substances used as oil in electrical transformers, remains an environmental challenge. This study aims to investigate the dechlorination of PCBs-contaminated transformer oils using microwave catalytic (Fe, glycerol) pyrolysis and to study the kinetics of PCBs dechlorination. After determining the composition of PCBs-contaminated oil using Gas Chromatography with an Electron Capture Detector (GC-ECD), response surface methodology through a central composite design was used to optimize dechlorination factors (irradiation time, microwave power, NaOH).

Identification of soil bacteria able to degrade phenanthrene bound to a hydrophobic sorbent in situ.

Efficient bioremediation of PAH-contaminated sites is limited by the hydrophobic character and poor bioavailability of pollutants. In this study, stable isotope probing (SIP) was implemented to track bacteria that can degrade PAHs adsorbed on hydrophobic sorbents. Temperate and tropical soils were incubated with (13)C-labeled phenanthrene, supplied by spiking or coated onto membranes.