Complete Degradation of the Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Phthalic Acid by Flavobacterium sp.

Abstract

The complete microbial degradation of Phthalic Acid (PA) is described. PA was thought to be an endocrine-disrupting chemical. A pure culture (strain No. A-1) from soil sample capable of utilizing PA as the sole source of carbon and energy was identified as Flavobacterium sp. Degradation patterns of PA were observed on the high-performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC) of the culture filtrates of this strain, and growth of bacteria was measured as protein by the Kennedy and Fewson method. The growth yield of this strain was about 6.1 g of protein per mole of carbon source of PA, and was similar to that in the case of glucose as a carbon source. Complete degradation of PA has been achieved (1660 mg/l) in less than 2 days using Flavobacterium sp. strain No. A-1. The transient intermediates of PA were not detectable on the high-performance liquid chromatogram of the culture filtrates of this strain. This strain could not degrade dimethyl, diethyl phthalate ester and phthalic anhydride.