Metabolism of the Plasticizer di- n -Butylphthalate by Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes Under Anaerobic Conditions, with Nitrate as the Only Electron Acceptor

Abstract

The metabolism of di- n -butylphthalate by a denitrifying strain of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes B20b1 was studied under anaerobic conditions, with nitrate as the only electron acceptor. Thin-layer chromatography and mass spectral analysis of culture extracts (20 days at 30°C) showed mono- n -butylphthalate and phthalic acid as the only products, suggesting that one butanol moiety served essentially as the carbon source for growth and denitrification. N 2 and N 2 O were detected by gas chromatography. In contrast to aerobic metabolism, phthalate was not degraded further if nitrate was the only electron acceptor.