Biodegradation of diethyl phthalate in soil by a novel pathway

C D Cartwright; S A Owen; I P Thompson; Richard G Burns

doi:10.1016/S0378-1097(00)00111-7

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Biodegradation of diethyl phthalate in soil by a novel pathway

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Biodegradation of diethyl phthalate in soil by a novel pathway

C D Cartwright, S A Owen, I P Thompson and Richard G Burns

FEMS Microbiology Letters, Vol.186(1), pp.27-34

2000

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1097(00)00111-7

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Abstract

diethyl phthalate

methanol

biodegradation

demethylation

transesterification

Biodegradation of diethyl phthalate (DEP) has been shown to occur as a series of sequential steps common to the degradation of all phthalates. Primary degradation of DEP to phthalic acid (PA) has been reported to involve the hydrolysis of each of the two diethyl chains of the phthalate to produce the monoester monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and then PA. However, in soil co-contaminated with DEP and MeOH, biodegradation of the phthalate to PA resulted in the formation of three compounds, in addition to MEP. These were characterised by gas chromatography-electron ionisation mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance as ethyl methyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate and monomethyl phthalate, and indicated the existence of an alternative pathway for the degradation of DEP in soil co-contaminated with MeOH. Transesterification or demethylation were proposed as the mechanisms for the formation of the three compounds, although the 7:1 ratio of H2O to MeOH means that transesterification is unlikely. Copyright (C) 2000 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

Details

Title: Biodegradation of diethyl phthalate in soil by a novel pathway
Authors: C D Cartwright (Author) - University of Kent, United Kingdom
S A Owen (Author) - University of Kent, United Kingdom
I P Thompson (Author) - Institute of Virology and Environmental Microbiology, United Kingdom
Richard G Burns (Author) - University of Kent, United Kingdom
Publication details: FEMS Microbiology Letters, Vol.186(1), pp.27-34
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date published: 2000
DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1097(00)00111-7
ISSN: 0378-1097
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449313402621
Output Type: Journal article

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