Degradation of Gamma-BHC in Flooded Soils Enriched with Peptone

Abstract

Soils had an ability to decompose BHC when they were kept in flooded condition, and the ability was remarkably enhanced with peptone. Every tested soil was affected by the addition of peptone, and it was suggested to be due to the increase of BHC decomposers in the soil. The BHC decomposer predominating in the soil-peptone culture preferred an anaerobic condition and was heat-resistant, being able to decompose α- as well as γ -BHC. Several anaerobic bacteria were isolated, from the soil-peptone culture as BHC decomposers, and these decomposers were tentatively identified as species of Clostridium from several characteristic features.