Team:UNC-Asheville

TCEasy

Degradation of Tricholoretheylene through a novel metabolic pathway.

The Problem

Toxic byproducts are seeping into our water table. We need to fix that.

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Trichloroethylene (TCE) is volatile organic solvent that is useful as a degreasing agent.

Acute exposure to TCE of between 17-85 ppm can cause central nervous system depression with symptoms including ataxia, short term memory loss and long term oculomotor dysfunction.2 According to the Agency for toxic substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR), TCE has been found in at least 1,045 of the 1,699 National Priorities List sites identified by the EPA.3