In the course of a study of the microbial degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), 16 cultures, representing 5 genera of bacteria, were isolated. APseudomonas sp. was found to degrade mixtures of PCB (Aroclor 1254) and pure isomers, i.e., hexachlorobiphenyl (HCB). Degradation was found to be variable, depending on length of incubation, purity, and degree of chlorination of the biphenyl molecule. In addition to apparent degradation of PCB, it was observed that PCB stimulated growth and oxygen uptake. Bioaccumulation of PCB residues was suggested since(14)-Clabeled material derived from(14)C-PCB accumulated on or in the bacterial cells. The potential degradation and utilization of PCB by microorganisms suggests that this may be an important mechanism for removal or mobilization of PCB into food chains in the estuarine environment.

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The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship's Ballast Water and Sediments was adopted at 2004 and then various BWMS (ballast water management system) have been developed. In this study, WET (whole effluent toxicity) test with algae (diatom) Skeletonema costatum as primary producer, invertebrate (rotifera) Brachionus plicatilis as 1st consumer and fish (olive flounder) Paralichthys olivaceus as predator, chemical analysis and ERA (environmental risk assessment) were conducted to assess the †

Ballast water effluent treated by an electrolytic method contains reactive chlorine species and disinfection by-products (DBPs). In this study, we conducted whole effluent toxicity (WET) testing and ecological risk assessment (ERA) to investigate its ecotoxicological effects on marine environment. WET testing was carried out for three marine pelagic organisms, i.e., diatom Skeletonema costatum, rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and fish Paralichthys olivaceus. The biological toxicity test revealed that S. costatum was the only organism that showed apparent toxicity to the effluent; it showed no observed effect concentration (NOEC), lowest observable effect concentration (LOEC) and effect concentration of 50% (EC50) values of 12.5%, 25.0% and 83.3%, respectively, at brackish water condition. In contrast, it showed insignificant toxicity at seawater condition. B. plicatilis and P. olivaceus also showed no toxicities to the effluent at the both salinity conditions. Meanwhile, chemical analysis revealed that the ballast water effluent contained total residual oxidants (TROs) below 0.03 μg/L and a total of 20 DBPs including bromate, volatile halogenated organic compounds (VOCs), halogenated acetonitriles (HANs), halogenated acetic acids (HAAs) and chloropicrin. Based on ERA, the 20 DBPs were not considered to have persistency, bioaccumulation and toxicity (PBT) properties. Except monobromoacetic acid, the ratio of predicted environmental concentration (PEC) to predicted no effect concentration (PNEC) of the other 19 DBPs did not exceed 1. Thus, our results of WET testing and ERA indicated that the ballast water effluent treated by electrolysis and subsequently neutralization was considered to have no adverse impacts on marine environment.