Microbial analysis of contaminated soil and uncontaminated plant and faecal material resulted in the enrichment of a number of microbial communities capable of utilizing a range of environmental pollutants. Growth was observed on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, heterocyclic aromatic compounds and organochlorine pesticides. However, none of the communities could grow on pentachlorophenol. Pure cultures were isolated from microbial communities using phenanthrene and pyrene as the sole carbon and energy source. Isolates were also obtained using DDT, DOH, DBH and PCPA when peptone was supplemented to the medium. Strain AJR(3)9,504, isolated using DDT and peptone, could not be positively identified on the basis of substrate utilization tests. However, it most closely resembled Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (0.424 similarity) using the Microlog 3 database software. Isolate AJR(3)9,504 could also grow on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated- and nitro-aromatic compounds. In addition, the degradation of DDT (100 mg l(-1)) by isolate AJR(3)9,504 resulted in a 35% decrease in DDT concentration after 28 days with a concomitant increase in DDD concentration.