Estuary bacteria offer hope for pollutant detoxification in saline waters

Scientists from the Institute of Applied Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified a strain of bacteria that can break down harmful pollutants in saline environments, such as estuaries and marine systems. The bacteria, named Dehalogenimonas strain W, were found to be effective in degrading 1,2-dichloroethane, a common industrial solvent, under conditions of high salinity.