PCB DEGRADING BACTERIA FOUND

By: Danny Yehia

PCBs are one of the most dangerous chemicals man has ever created and, to make matters worse, they are

almost impossible to destroy.

PCB is short for polychlorinated biphenyls, a compound made of chlorine and biphenyl that was used as coolant fluid in many electrical products in

the past.

Thankfully, we have improved our electrical equipment and, after seeing the negative effects

they had on people and the environment, no longer use these terrible compounds to help run

everyday appliances.

This is a huge positive step for man and the environment.

The only trouble is, what happens with the PCBs that we already released?

The answer is, these PCBs, thanks to their incredibly hearty nature,

continue to pollute streams, rivers, bays and wetlands across the

globe.

They have been proven, in a variety of studies, to cause cancer and a range of

other harmful effects in animals.

Human trials are obviously more difficult to undertake but based on studies of

humans exposed there is evidence that PCBs cause similar if not identical

problems for us.

For many years, despite knowledge of the dangers of these chemicals, nothing could be done besides scooping massive quantities of water and dirt from the bottom of a body of

water and dumping the contaminated detritus in a landfill.

This was inefficient and did damage to the

environment in its own ways. But finally, an answer might be

coming!

Scientists at the National University of Singapore have found three strains of bacteria (all

belonging to a genus known as Dehalococcoides) which can eat away at PCBs and render them

more inert.

The engineers and scientists found these bacteria but did not stop there, they also went on to innovate ways of nurturing and collecting these bacteria on a grand scale so they could be

used effectively to degrade the PCBs in a particular body of water.

It will still be a time before these new bacteria are optimized and made ready to

help depollute areas affected by PCBs but it is a comfort to know that one day, we

might be able to undo the damage we have done to the environment.

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