TCA1 is the initial designation of anaerobic bacteria discovered in sediment from the bottom of the upper Hudson River in New York. The significant interest in this microbe comes from its ability to respire and break down the chlorinated solvent TCA (1,1,1,-trichloroethane).
The Hudson River area, due to its high pollution level, is listed as a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). TCA is among many of the toxins found at this site, and is known to be present in greater than fifty percent of the Superfund sites in the United States. In addition, its use as a solvent in common household products (glue, paint, aerosol sprays) allows continual exposure of the chemical to the environment. However, TCA can also be created from the interactions of various chemicals and their break down products.
One of the major concerns with TCA is its ability to impact the environment through multiple mechanisms. TCA often leeches into the groundwater and soil, contaminating drinking water supplies and impacting the community structure of aquatic life. As TCA evaporates, it breaks down into chemicals that are readily released into the atmosphere, aiding to the destruction of the ozone layer.TCA1 has considerable potential for use in bioremediation, as TCA was one of the last groundwater contaminants for which biodegredation had not been determined. In the process of breathing TCA, the bacteria cleave the chlorines from the compound, producing chloroethane. This product is much less toxic than the parent compound, and is easily degraded by other microbes in the soil.
*Disclaimer - This report was written by a student participaring in a microbiology course at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The accuracy of the contents of this report is not guaranteed and it is recommended that you seek additional sources of information to verify the contents.
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