Being clean can cause environmental problems. When was the last time you had some drycleaning done? Have you ever wondered what they mean by the words "drycleaning"?
When your clothes are drycleaned, no water is used to take away the dirt. Instead, a compound called percholorethylene (perc) is used to get out the dirt from your clothing. Unfortunately, perc is may be a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Previously, perc was disposed of by burning it or pouring it down the drain. Now that is no longer allowed because of the hazardous nature of perc.
If you can't burn it or dump it down the sink what do you do with this stuff? Let microorganisms eat it! Last month CNN ran an article titled Sewage 'Bug' May Be Better Solution For Toxic-Waste Disposal. Dr. Jim Gossett and Steve Zinder at Cornell University have found a bacteria that can breakdown perc. When this microbe is done breaking down perc, a harmless gas called ethylene is given off. Ethylene gas is a naturally occuring compound that ripens fruit.
The microorganism that can break down perc is called Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195. It was found in an abandoned sewage treatment plant. An old sewage treatment plant is the perfect place to look for organisms that break down perc because perc used to be disposed of by pouring it down the drain.
Unfortunately, Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195 cannot grow in the presence of oxygen and requires a number of as yet uncharacterized nutritional supplements. Once the optimal conditions for growing Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195 are determined, discarded perc may be literally eaten away by microbes!
For more information, go to an article from Cornell University
.Take Care and Think Microbiologically!
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