Author(s)

E. Marcandella & M.A. Bues

Abstract

We study the ability of an environmental bacterial strain to grow and to degrade an organomercurial micropollutant in a saturated porous medium. We are interested in the phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA), a dangerous fungicide found in the water and sediments of the Rhine River. In order to avoid PMA migration from sediments to groundwater, we have studied the bacterial degradation mechanisms by Pseudomonas fluorescens. A mercury resistant strain of P. fluorescens (PL IV strain) has been isolated from Rhine water. It can break the carbon-mercury link of organomercurial compounds. The resulting mercuric ion (Hg2+) is reduced into volatile metallic mercu

Keywords