Chlorine isotope fractionation during reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes by anaerobic bacteria

Chlorine isotope fractionation during reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) and tetra chloroethene (PCE) to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) by anaerobic bacteria was investigated. The changes in the (CI)-C-37/(CI)-C-35 ratio observed during the one-step reaction (TCE to cDCE) can be explained by the regioselective elimination of chlorine accompanied by the Rayleigh fractionation. The fractionation factors (alpha) of the TCE dechlorination by three kinds of anaerobic cultures were approximately 0.994-0.995 at 30 degreesC. The enrichment of (CI)-C-37 in the organic chlorine during the two-step reaction (PCE to cDCE) can be explained by the random elimination of one chlorine atom in the PCE molecule followed by the regioselective elimination of one chlorine atom in the TCE molecule. The fractionation factors fore: the first step of the PCE dechlorination with three kinds of anaerobic cultures were estimated to be 0.987-0.991 at 30 degreesC using a mathematical model. Isotope fractionation during the first step would be the primary factor for the chlorine isotope fractionation during the PCE dechorination to cDCE. The developed models can be utilized to evaluate the fractionation factors of regioselective and multistep reactions.