Occurrence, Toxicity, and Biotransformation of Pentachloronitrobenzene and Chloroanilines

Chloronitrobenzenes and chloroanilines are among the recalcitrant, toxic environmental contaminants that pose chronic threat to the health and safety of humans and wildlife. Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) is an emerging environmental chloronitroaromatic contaminant, widely distributed in the environment due to its worldwide intensive use. The interactions between potentially competing microbial processes (i.e., iron reduction, nitrate reduction, methanogenesis, and dechlorination) can significantly influence the environmental fate of PCNB and chloroanilines resulting from the reductive biotransformation of PCNB. This review evaluates presently available toxicity and distribution information as well as the transformation and degradation potential of PCNB and chloroanilines under different environmental conditions.