Evidence of non-DDD pathway in the anaerobic degradation of DDT in tropical soil.

DDT transformation to DDD in soil is the most commonly reported pathway under anaerobic conditions. A few instances of DDT conversion to products other than DDD/DDE have been reported under aerobic conditions and hardly any under anaerobic conditions. In particular, few reports exist on the anaerobic degradation of DDT in African tropical soils, despite DDT contamination arising from obsolete pesticide stockpiles in the continent as well as new contamination from DDT use for mosquito and tsetse fly control.

Enhanced degradation of 14C-HCB in two tropical clay soils using multiple anaerobic-aerobic cycles.

The aim of the study was to induce and enhance the degradation of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), a highly-chlorinated persistent organic pollutant, in two ecologically different tropical soils: a paddy soil (PS) and a non-paddy soil (FS). The degradation of HCB was enhanced using two anaerobic-aerobic cycles in model laboratory experiments. There was greater degradation of HCB in the PS (half-life of 224 days) relative to the FS (half-life of 286 days).

Impact of soil water regime on degradation and plant uptake behaviour of the herbicide isoproturon in different soil types.

The environmental fate of the worldwide used herbicide isoproturon was studied in four different, undisturbed lysimeters in the temperate zone of Middle Europe. To exclude climatic effects due to location, soils were collected at different regions in southern Germany and analyzed at a lysimeter station under identical environmental conditions. (14)C-isoproturon mineralization varied between 2.

Degradation capacity of a 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene mineralizing microbial community for traces of organochlorine pesticides.

A soil-borne microbial community isolated from a contaminated site was previously shown to mineralize 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (1,2,4-TCB) under aerobic conditions. The key degrader in this community was identified as Bordetella sp. F2.