page_title: In situ bioremediation
section_title: Chlorinated Aliphatic Compounds
hierarchical_section_title: In situ bioremediation / Uses of In situ bioremediation / Chlorinated Compounds / Chlorinated Aliphatic Compounds
caption_attribution_description: Català: Reacció catalitzada de cloració del bifenil segons SAFE, S (1984)
context_page_description: Bioremediation is the process of decontaminating polluted sites through the usage of either endogenous or external microorganism. In situ is a term utilized within a variety of fields meaning "on site" and refers to the location of an event. Within the context of bioremediation, in situ indicates that the location of the bioremediation has occurred at the site of contamination without the translocation of the polluted materials. Bioremediation is used to neutralize pollutants including Hydrocarbons, chlorinated compounds, nitrates, toxic metals and other pollutants through a variety of chemical mechanisms. Microorganism used in the process of bioremediation can either be implanted or cultivated within the site through the application of fertilizers and other nutrients. Common polluted sites targeted by bioremediation are groundwater/aquifers and polluted soils. Aquatic ecosystems affected by oil spills have also shown improvement through the application of bioremediation. The most notable cases being the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. Two variations of bioremediation exist defined by the location where the process occurs.
context_section_description: A variety of metabolic modes exist capable of degrading chlorinated aliphatic compounds. Anaerobic reduction, oxidation of the compound, and cometabolism under aerobic conditions are the three main metabolic modes utilized by microorganisms to degrade chlorinated aliphatic compounds. Organisms that can readily metabolize chlorinated aliphatic compounds are not common in the environment. One and two carbons that have little chlorination are the compounds most effectively metabolized by soil microbial populations. The degradation of chlorinated aliphatic compounds is most often performed through cometabolism.
caption: Synthesis and general structure of polychlorinated byphenyls.
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