Anaerobic reductive dechlorination of 1-chloro-1-fluoroethene to track the transformation of vinyl chloride.

1-Chloro-1-fluoroethene (1,1-CFE) was studied as a reactive tracer to quantify the anaerobic transformation of vinyl chloride (VC). Batch kinetic studies of 1,1-CFE and VC transformation were performed with an enrichment culture obtained from the Evanite site in Corvallis, OR. The culture is capable of completely transforming trichloroethene (TCE) through cis-dichloroethene (c-DCE) and VC to ethene. The culture also transforms fluorinated analogues, such as trichlorofluoroethene (TCFE), to fluoroethene (FE) as a final product. The transformation sequence of the fluorinated analogue was correlated with that achieved for the chlorinated ethene with the same degree of chloride substitution. For example, the production of 1,1-CFE, the major CFE isomer formed from TCFE transformation, was correlated with the production of VC from TCE transformation. Since the 1,1-CFE and its product, FE, have a distinct analytical signature, 1,1-CFE may be used as a reactive in situ tracer to evaluate the VC transformation potential. The half-saturated constants (K(S)) of VC and 1,1-CFE were 63 and 87 microM, respectively, while similar maximum utilization rates (kmaxX) of 334 and 350 microM/d were achieved. Acetylene inhibited both VC and 1,1-CFE transformation. A competitive inhibition model with the independently measured K(S) values used as the inhibition constants predicted rates of transformation of both VC and 1,1-CFE when both compounds were present. 1,1-CFE transformation was also tested with three different cultures. With all the cultures, 1,1-CFE transformation was associated with VC transformation to ethene, and the rates of transformation were comparable. The results demonstrated that 1,1-CFE was a good reactive surrogate for evaluating the rates of VC transformation.