Identification of the Phthalate-Degrading Bacteria Isolated from Phthalate-Contaminated Soil and Characterization of Their Phthalate Substrate Specificity

摘要

Phthalate esters are used as additives to improve the mechanical properties of plastics, particularly that of flexibility. In addition, they are used in packaging materials and containers of insecticides and cosmetics. The number of these compounds is increasing owing to the increase in different types of synthetic resin products (Lee and Lee, 2001). However, because phthalate plasticizers are not covalently bound to the resin, they are able to easily migrate into the environment. Phthalate ester has the basic structure of an esterified benzenedicarboxylic acid with two alkyl chains. Decomposition of phthalate esters in the environment mainly occurs through microbiologically mediated processes that follow a series of stages common for all phthalate esters (Ribbons et al. 1984, Staples et al. 1997).