[6][7][8] However, studies have shown that using various electron donors such as formate,[9] and methyl viologen,[7] have also been effective in promoting growth for various species of dehalococcoides.

[10] Furthermore, it has been shown that a majority of reductive dehalogenase activities lie within the extracellular and membranous components of D. ethenogenes, indicating that dechlorination processes may function semi-independently from intracellular systems.

[7] Currently, all known dehalococcoides strains require acetate for producing cellular material, however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood as they appear to lack fundamental enzymes that complete biosynthesis cycles found in other organisms.

This includes tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) which are transformed to ethylene, and chlorinated dioxins, vinyl chloride, benzenes, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phenols and many other aromatic contaminants.

[10][14] For example, common compounds such as chlorinated dioxins, benzenes, PCBs, phenols and many other aromatic substrates can be reduced into less harmful chemical forms.

[10] However, dehalococcoides are currently the only known dechlorinating bacteria with the unique ability to degrade the highly recalcitrant, tetrachloroethene (PCE) and Trichloroethylene (TCE) compounds into more suitable for environmental conditions, and thus used in bioremediation.

[15] For example, particular strains of dehalococcoides have shown preference to produce more soluble, intermediates such as 1,2–dichloroethene isomers and vinyl chloride that contrasts against bioremediation goals, primarily due to their harmful nature.

[6][10] Therefore, an important aspect of current bioremediation tactics involves the use of multiple dechlorinating organisms to promote symbiotic relationships within a mixed culture to ensure complete reduction to ethene.

[15] As a result, studies have focused upon metabolic pathways and environmental factors that regulate reductive dehalogenative processes in order to better implement dehalococcoides for bioremediation tactics.

[16] D. mccartyi strains 195 and SFB93 are inhibited by high concentrations of acetylene (which builds up in contaminated groundwater sites as a result of TCE degradation) via changes in gene expression that likely disrupt normal electron transport chain function.