• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.340-345
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• 2004

The embryotoxic effects of PCB (Aroclor 1248) on a Korean frog, Rana dybowskii was deter-mined by using the FETAX (Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus) protocol. The rates of mortality and malformed larvae were investigated by probit analysis. The results showed that PCB is highly embryolethal. From LC$_{50}$ of 1.48ppb and from EC$_{50}$ of 0.25ppb and TI of 5.7 were derived, which indicates PCB is to be considered a teratogenic compound. Specific malformations occurred in 62.0% as edema at the 0.1ppb, in 32.0% as tail deformations at the 1ppb, and in 68.0% as profound deformations at the 5ppb of PCB concentration which living embryos were exposed to. PCB suppressed the growth of head-tail length at a relatively low concentration (1.0ppb), and therefore growth inhibition as assessed by embryo length can be used as a sensitive indicator to evaluate the toxicity of pollutants in the environment. In conclusion, PCB must be considered highly embryotoxic to Rana dybowskii.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2006

We investigated the effects of halogenated aromatic compounds (HACs) including naturally occurring ones (L-thyroxine, 3-chloro-L-tyrosine, 5-chloroindole, 2-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and chlorobenzene) on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dechlorination in sediment cultures. A PCB-dechlorinating enrichment culture of sediment microorganisms from the St. Lawrence River was used as an initial inoculum. When the culture was inoculated into Aroclor 1248 sediments amended with each of the six HACs, the extent of dechlorination was not enhanced by amendment with HACs. The dechlorination patterns in the HAC-amended sediments were nearly identical to that of the HAC-free sediments except the 3-chloro-L-tyrosine-amended ones where no dechlorination activity was observed. When these sediment cultures were transferred into fresh sediments with the same HACs, the dechlorination specificities remained the same as those of the initial inoculations. Thus, in the present study, the substrate range of the highly selected enrichment culture could not be broadened by the HACs. It appears that HACs affect PCB dechlorination mainly through population selection rather than enzyme induction of single population.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.195-201
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• 2001

The effect of moisture content an the reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls and population dynamics of dechlorinating microorganisms was investigated in sediments spiked with Aroclor 1248. In sediment slurry with an overlying water layer, dechlorination ensued after a 4-week lag period and reduced the average number of chlorines per biphenyl from 3.91 to 3.15 after 48 weeks. In the sediments of reduced moisture content, however, dechlorination occurred after a lag period of 12 weeks and decreased the average number of chlorines per biphenyl to only 3.62, and the dechlorination rate was also slower. When the population size of dechlorinators, methanogens, and sulfate-reducing bacteria was determined by the most probable number techniques, however, no difference was found between the slurry and the low-moisture sediments, except for methanogens. The growth of dechlorinating populations coincided with the end of the lag period and they then increased by 3 orders of magnitude in two conditions. Specific growth rate of dechlorinators showed little difference between the slurry and the low-moisture sediments; however, growth yield was high in the sediments of reduced moisture content. The reduction of sediment moisture decreased the dechlorination rate and extent of PCBs but did not inhibit the growth of PCB dechlorinators.