Dechlorination of chlorobenzenes by a culture containing bacterium DF-1, a PCB dechlorinating microorganism.

Polychlorinated benzenes were reductively dechlorinated by an enrichment culture containing the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dechlorinating bacterium DF-1. The culture dechlorinated hexachlorobenzene (hexa-CB) --> pentachlorobenzene (penta-CB) --> 1,2,3,5-tetrachlorobenzene (1,2,3,5-CB) --> 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene (1,3,5-CB) and did not dechlorinate other tetrachlorobenzenes or any trichlorobenzenes. This restricted series of reactions is the most predominant and frequently reported pathway for the dechlorination of hexa-CB and penta-CB by enrichment cultures inoculated with either freshwater or estuarine sediments.