Trichlorobacter: microbiological properties and application in the remediation of organochlorine-contaminated sites

Abstract:

Organochlorine compounds are common persistent pollutants in groundwater and soil, posing a serious threat to the environment and human health due to their high toxicity and difficult degradability. Microbial remediation characterized by low costs, high efficiency, and environmental friendliness has become an important method for treating organochlorine pollution, with anaerobic reductive dechlorination as the core mechanism. Trichlorobacter, a genus of facultative organichalide-respiring bacteria, possesses diverse metabolic functions and shows great potential in environmental remediation. In this paper, we systematically reviewed the microbiological properties including the taxonomic changes of Trichlorobacter and elaborated on the discovery and isolation methods of the strains. Particularly, we analyzed the physiological and biochemical properties, including organohalogen respiration, iron reduction, nitrate reduction, and sodium fumarate reduction. The genomic studies reveal the phylogenetic relationships and functional gene characteristics of different strains, especially the key role of reductive dehalogenases (RDases) in the dechlorination process. In addition, this paper discusses the synergistic mechanism between Trichlorobacter and other microorganisms (such as Dehalococcoides), as well as the application cases of Trichlorobacter in the remediation of organochlorine-contaminated sites. Finally, in view of the current research deficiencies, future research directions are proposed, including optimizing the environmental adaptability of strains and developing multi-strain combined remediation technologies. This review aims to provide theoretical support and technical references for the efficient biological remediation of organochlorine pollution.