PCBs are stable toxins which persist for decades. Their bioaccumulative nature means even small concentrations will build up in the food chain, harming organisms at the top of the food chain like orca whales.
Around 1.3 million tons of PCB were estimated to be produced from 1930-1993 for electronic systems and other uses. These pollutants have spread across the world and will persist for a long time.
Despite the far reach of PCBs, cleanup efforts have been slow for some sites. Our project aims to support these efforts by using bacterial transformations to enable biofilms to destroy PCBs.