Estimates of Gibbs free energies of formation of chlorinated aliphatic compounds

The Gibbs free energy of formation of chlorinated aliphatic compounds was estimated with Mavrovouniotis' group contribution method. The group contribution of chlorine was estimated from the scarce data available on chlorinated aliphatics in the literature, and found to vary somewhat according to the position of chlorine in the molecule. The resulting estimates of the Gibbs free energy of formation of chlorinated aliphatic compounds indicate that both reductive dechlorination and aerobic mineralization of these compounds can yield sufficient energy to sustain microbial growth.