The chloroethenes are persistent toxic chemicals that have been widely disposed in the environment. In the presence of reducing conditions, anaerobic bacteria D. ethenogenes, can reductively dechlorinate these compounds to dichloroethene and further to vinyl chloride (VC) and to ethene. While it is possible to anaerobically convert VC completely to ethene, in some cases the groundwater becomes aerobic, resulting in a plume of VC, a known human carcinogen with a US EPA MCL of 2 ppb. Under aerobic conditions, there are three types of aerobic microbes that destroy VC. Ethene-utilizing bacteria (ethenotrophs), which oxidize ethene as their carbon and energy source, can co-metabolically consume VC. Methanotrophs, which oxidize methane as their carbon and energy source, can also co-metabolically oxidize and destroy VC. Finally, some ethenotrophs can develop the ability to directly oxidize VC in the absence of ethene.
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