Identification of the proton source for the microbial reductive dechlorination of 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorobiphenyl.
Microbially mediated reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in anaerobic sediments has been observed during laboratory experiments. Reductive dechlorination is a two-electron transfer reaction which involves the release of chlorine as a chloride ion and its replacement on the aromatic ring by hydrogen. The exact mechanism of the electron transfer for PCBs is unknown; however, this work shows that the source of the hydrogen atom is the proton (H) from water.
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Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2125.
Vogel
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