Abstract
Two different mechanisms were responsible for the disappearance of styrene in enrichment cultures: (i) a mixed population of microorganisms, capable of utilizing styrene as a sole carbon source, oxidized this substrate to phenylethanol and phenylacetic acid; (ii) the culture also mediated polymerization of the monomer to low-molecular-weight styrene oligomers. This chemical reaction probably occurred as the result of microbial degradation of butylcatechol, an antioxidant polymerization inhibitor present in commercial styrene. The resultant polymer material was subsequently metabolized. In soil incubation studies, 14CO2 evolution from applied [8-14C] styrene was used to estimate microbial degradation. Approximately 90 percent of the labeled carbon was evolved from a 0.2 percent addition, and about 75 percent was lost from the 0.5 percent application over a 16-week period.
Full text
PDFSelected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- CHEN S. L., PEPPLER H. J. Conversion of cinnamaldehyde to styrene by a yeast mutant. J Biol Chem. 1956 Jul;221(1):101–106. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dagley S. Catabolism of aromatic compounds by micro-organisms. Adv Microb Physiol. 1971;6(0):1–46. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2911(08)60066-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- FINKLE B. J., LEWIS J. C., CORSE J. W., LUNDIN R. E. Enzyme reactions with phenolic compounds: formation of hydroxystyrenes through the decarboxylation of 4-hydroxycinnamic acids by Aerobacter. J Biol Chem. 1962 Sep;237:2926–2931. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Focht D. D., Alexander M. Aerobic cometabolism of DDT analogues by Hydrogenomonas sp. J Agric Food Chem. 1971 Jan-Feb;19(1):20–22. doi: 10.1021/jf60173a042. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- JAMINET F. Au sujet d'un processus de fermentation hydrocarbonique observé dans une potion au sirop de tolu. J Pharm Belg. 1950 Jul-Aug;5(7-8):191–201. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Leibman K. C. Metabolism and toxicity of styrene. Environ Health Perspect. 1975 Jun;11:115–119. doi: 10.1289/ehp.7511115. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]