Pseudomonas putida PpG786 that contains the inducible enzyme system cytochrome P-450(cam) is considered for use as specialized biomass for detoxification of hazardous hydrocarbons. The test substrate 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) is used to assess the organohalide degradation activity of P. putida PpG786. Activity was found to be a strong function of intracellular heme content, variables which affect the culturing and processing of the cells, and oxygen tension in the degradation incubation medium. The lifetime for maintaining active biomass in chemostat washout operation, after inducing substrate was removed and then restarted, was also studied. These results indicate that initial activity of the P. putida biomass is high enough, and decays slowly enough, so that industrial wastewater treatment at the operating conditions of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) could effectively remove hazardous compounds.