Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5056

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5056

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Table 2. Potential relative efficiency of chloroethene biodegradation through reductive dechlorination or microbial oxidation as a function of ground water reduction-oxidation (redox) conditions (from Bradley, 2003).

[Abbreviations: PCE, tetrachloroethene; TCE, trichloroethene; cis-DCE, cis-1,2-dichloroethene; VC, vinyl chloride; –, indicates no evidence for this mechanism under this redox condition; RD, reductive dechlorination; MO, microbial oxidation]

Contaminant Biodegradation
mechanism		 Predominant redox condition
Aerobic Manganese
reduction		 Iron
reduction		 Sulfate
reduction		 Methanogenesis
PCE RD – Good Good Excellent Excellent
  MO Fair1 – – – –
TCE RD – Fair Good Good Excellent
  MO Good1 – – – –
cis-DCE RD Poor Poor Poor Fair Good
  MO Excellent Good Poor Poor Poor
VC RD Poor Poor Poor Fair Fair
  MO Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Good2

1Aerobic cometabolism only—considered to be a transient mechanism.

2Associated with humic-acids reduction rather than methanogenic activity.

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