*) The purpose of this workshop was to bring together researchers from Japan and the United Kingdom, and to summarize and discuss the problems concerning bioremediation. Seventeen researchers from 14 institutions made presentations. The presentations can be categorized according to the target of bioremediation. 1) Tetrachloroethyren (TCE) remediation : Seven participants made presentations about various aspects of aliphatic chlorinated compounds such as TCE, reflecting the seriousness of TCE, PCE, and TCA contamination of ground water and soil in Japan. 2) Petroleum biodegradation : There were three presentations on oil remediation. Petroleum contamination both in the land and sea might be one of the major targets of bioremediation. Oil remediation is relatively widely employed. 3) Pesticide : Pesticides are the most abundantly used chemicals in the environment. Contamination of land with pesticides might be severe in Japan, since we have a humid climate. Four people made presentations on this problem. 4) PCB and chloroaromatides degradation : Since elucidation of the mechanism of biodegradation of PCB is important in order to improve its degradability, substrate specificity and inducer recognition of chloroaromatides catabolic bacteria or genes were discussed. A combination of physicochemical methods with biological degradation leading to complete degradation of concentrated PCBs was also reported. 5) Monitoring, community analysis : To demonstrate effective bioremediation, appropriate measurement techniques to monitor clean up and the organisms involved in the process are needed. There has been progress in developing techniques to monitor the degrading microorganisms and analyze their community structure at bioremediation sites.

**) This workshop attended by 135 participants, was held from 8-10th November 1999 to follow-up the “Bio-Cosmos Research Project” from 1989-1998. In four sessions, including plant-insect, insect-insect, plant-plant, plant-microorganism communications and application of bio-active chemicals in communication, 9 speakers from overseas and 13 from Japan made presentations on chemical communications. Dr. I. T. Baldwin, director of Max-Plank-Institute for Chemical Ecology, presented a topic about plants for the ecological function of its secondary metabolites, and explained about this newly established German National Institute. Dr. S. O. Duke, research leader at USDA-ARS, National Center for Natural Products Research, made a presentation titled “Strategies for the use of allelochemicals in weed management”.

	back to Contents
	back to NIAES Home Page