Table 2.
Survival of the P. putida DOT‐T1E and cfaB‐ cultures after the addition of 0.3% (v/v) m‐xylene, ethylbenzene or propylbenzene.
| log Pow | DOT‐T1E | cfaB‐ | ttgGHI‐ | ttgABC‐ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 9.3 ± 0 | 9.3 ± 0.6 | 9.4 ± 0.1 | 9.2 ± 0.1 | |
| m‐xylene | 3.2 | 9.4 ± 0.7 | 7.0 ± 0.4 | 7.5 ± 0.3 | 6.6 ± 0.2 |
| Ethylbenzene | 3.4 | 8.8 ± 0.1 | 8.0 ± 0.2 | 6.3 ± 0.1 | 5.9 ± 0.3 |
| Propylbenzene | 3.6 | 9.3 ± 0.2 | 8.8 ± 0.1 | 8.9 ± 0.1 | 8.5 ± 0.1 |
Solvents were added when cultures reached the stationary phase, and cells were plated 10 min after the solvent was added. Survival is expressed as log cfu ml−1. Logarithm of the partition coefficient of an organic solvent in a mixture of octanol/water (log Pow) was used as a toxicity indicator. Organic solvents with log Pow between 1 and 4.5 are very toxic for microorganisms. Within this range, organic solvents with lower log Pow values are more toxic than those with higher values.