An obligately anaerobic bacterium which transforms several chlorinated phenols was isolated. Dechlorination of the substituents ortho to the phenolic OH group was preferred, while removal of a meta-substituted chlorine was observed only with 3,5-dichlorophenol. The bacterium was a gram-positive, endospore-forming, motile, slightly curved rod. Sulfate was not reduced. Nitrate was reduced via nitrite to ammonium. The bacterium is related to the genus Clostridium. The highest growth rate was obtained in a medium containing pyruvate and yeast extract. Pyruvate supported growth as the sole source of carbon, and the fermentation of pyruvate produced almost equimolar amounts of acetate.

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Denmark is a country with low prevalence and incidence of blood borne viral infections. Among health care workers (HCWs) vaccination for hepatitis B is only offered to high-risk groups. The aims of this cross sectional survey were to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B, -C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among the staff at a Danish University hospital and to correlate this with risk factors for transmission. Additionally, we wanted to examine the current frequency of blood exposure, reporting habits and hepatitis B vaccination status in the staff. Of 1439 eligible hospital staffs included, 960 (67%) were HCWs. The overall human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-, hepatitis C Virus (HCV)- and hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-prevalence was 0% (0/1439), 0.14% (2/1439) and 1.6% (23/1439), respectively. Twenty-three percent of HCWs were vaccinated against HBV. Age, blood transfusion and stay in endemic areas were associated independently to HBV infection as opposed to job-category, duration of employment, HBV vaccination status and blood exposure. Based on a 4-week recall period, the incidence of percutaneous blood exposure was 1.5/person-year. In conclusion the HIV and hepatitis prevalence was low despite frequent blood exposure and the principal risk factors were unrelated to work. Danish HCWs do not seem to be at increased risk of hepatitis B even though universal HBV vaccination has not been implemented.

Degradation of four heterocyclic compounds was examined under nitrate-reducing, sulphate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. Soil samples from a creosote-polluted site in Denmark were used as inoculum. Indole and quinoline were degraded under all redox conditions with the highest degradation rates obtained under sulphatereducing conditions. Benzothiophene and benzofuran were not degraded during the observation period of 100 days under any of the redox conditions. Indole and quinoline degrading cultures could be repeatedly transferred under all redox conditions, except for degradation of quinoline under sulphate-reducing conditions which was inhibited by sulphide at concentrations above 0.8 mM. Degradation of quinoline under methanogenic conditions was also inhibited by 3.2 mM sulphide used as a reducing agent, but sulphide had no inhibitory effect on the degradation of indole in methanogenic and sulphate-reducing soil slurries.