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Utilization of the Pollutant Di-2-Ethylhexyl Phthalate by a Bacterium¹

ABSTRACT

A bacterium, tentatively identified as the virtually ubiquitous saprophyte Serratia marcescens Bizio, was isolated for its ability to utilize the plasticizer di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate as sole source of carbon and energy. The organism was able to grow on o-phthalic acid but not on 2-ethylhexanol.

This strain of Serratia appeared to possess a constitutive esterase, but the enzyme(s) that mediated o-phthalic acid utilization appeared to be adaptive. The isolate reported here should be useful in studies of the environmental dynamics of the pollutant phthalate esters, as well as for assessing the susceptibility of certain plastic materials to microbial attack.

Key Words: sewage microbiology • water microbiology • soil microbiology • biodeterioration of plastics

¹ Contribution No. 520 from the Soil Research Institute and No. 823 from the Chemistry and Biology Research Institute, Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A OC6 Canada

² Research Scientist in Soil Biochemistry and Microbiology, SRI, and Acting Director of CBRI, respectively.

Received for publication August 8, 1974.