Marine algae - A source of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene

Our results show the natural production of two olefins, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, by various marine macroalgae and a microalga. We found significant difference in the ability of the algae to produce these compounds. The production rates for trichloroethylene varied between 0.022 and 3,400 ng g(-1) fresh wt (FW) h(-1) and were generally higher than those for perchloroethylene (0.0026-8.2 ng g(-1) FW h(-1)). The two subtropical algae, Asparagopsis taxiformis and Falkenbergia hillebrandii, showed the highest formation rates. One axenic marine red microalga, Porphyridium purpureum, was also tested and it could also produce trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. The measured rates suggest that the emission of trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene from the oceans to the atmosphere may be of such a magnitude that it cannot be neglected in the global atmospheric chlorine budget.