danny yehia pcb degrading bacteria found
DESCRIPTION
Danny Yehia reports on new findings by the University of Singapore. Scientists there have discovered a new type of bacteria that eats away at harmful PCB compounds that have been polluting our waters for decades.TRANSCRIPT
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PCB DEGRADING BACTERIA FOUND
By: Danny Yehia
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PCBs are one of the most dangerous chemicals man has ever created and, to make matters worse, they are
almost impossible to destroy.
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PCB is short for polychlorinated biphenyls, a compound made of chlorine and biphenyl that was used as coolant fluid in many electrical products in
the past.
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Thankfully, we have improved our electrical equipment and, after seeing the negative effects
they had on people and the environment, no longer use these terrible compounds to help run
everyday appliances.
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This is a huge positive step for man and the environment.
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The only trouble is, what happens with the PCBs that we already released?
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The answer is, these PCBs, thanks to their incredibly hearty nature,
continue to pollute streams, rivers, bays and wetlands across the
globe.
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They have been proven, in a variety of studies, to cause cancer and a range of
other harmful effects in animals.
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Human trials are obviously more difficult to undertake but based on studies of
humans exposed there is evidence that PCBs cause similar if not identical
problems for us.
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For many years, despite knowledge of the dangers of these chemicals, nothing could be done besides scooping massive quantities of water and dirt from the bottom of a body of
water and dumping the contaminated detritus in a landfill.
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This was inefficient and did damage to the
environment in its own ways. But finally, an answer might be
coming!
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Scientists at the National University of Singapore have found three strains of bacteria (all
belonging to a genus known as Dehalococcoides) which can eat away at PCBs and render them
more inert.
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The engineers and scientists found these bacteria but did not stop there, they also went on to innovate ways of nurturing and collecting these bacteria on a grand scale so they could be
used effectively to degrade the PCBs in a particular body of water.
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It will still be a time before these new bacteria are optimized and made ready to
help depollute areas affected by PCBs but it is a comfort to know that one day, we
might be able to undo the damage we have done to the environment.
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Thanks for viewing!