Aliphatic compounds highly chlorinated pesticides

Reductions Microbial and mammalian nitroreductase reduces nitro compounds to amines. Chlorinated alkanes and alkenes are common contaminants in ground water and chlorinated aromatics, PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, are often detected in soils and sediments and it has been of interest to evaluate the potential for these compounds to be metabolized. A number of microorganisms are able to dechlorinate both halogenated aliphatic and aromatic compounds in a reduction reaction." It has been observed that the more highly chlorinated congeners are more reactive in these systems in contrast to the response in oxidative dechlorinations. 

FORMAMIDE. Form amide (meibanamide), HCONHi. is the lirsi member of the primary amide series and is the only one liquid at room temperature. II is hygroscopic and has a faint odor of ammonia. Formamide is a colorless to pale yellowish liquid, freely miscible with water, lower alcohols and glycols, and lower esters and acetone. It is virtually immiscible in almost all aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and ethers. By virtue of its high dielectric constant, close to that of water and unusual for an organic compound, formamide has a high solvent capacity lor many heavy-metal salts and for salts of alkali and alkalinc-carth metals. It is an important solvent, in particular for resins and plasticizers. As a chemical intermediate, formamide is especially useful in the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, pharmaceuticals, crop protection agents, pesticides, and for the manufacture of hydrocyanic acid. 

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