Microbial Degradation Biodegradation

A variety of products have been made from mixtures of photodegradable polyethylene and starch. A pro-oxidant based on transition metals and lipids might be added. It would appear that the starch part of the composite does degrade, but the polyethylene portion survives much longer, albeit in a weak and flimsy condition. A review 

FIGURE 15.9 Quantitative measurement of polyester degradation. (Data from Fields, R. et al., 

FIGURE 15.10 Degradation of polyesters (a) copolymer of tetramethylene adipate and sebacate, 1 1 mole ratio (b) homopolymer of adipate (e) homopolymer of sebacate (d) polyeaprolaetone. (Data from Fields, R. D., and F. Rodrignez, in J. M. Sharpley and A. M. Kaplan, eds.. Proceedings of the 3rd International Biodegradation Symposium, p. 775, Applied Seienee, London, 1976.) 

Entirely starch-based polymers PLA and copolymers containing LA Polyeaprolaetone 

Water-soluble polymers poly(vinyl alcohol) is said to biodegrade after dissolving unmodified, naturally occurring polymers 

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Cook AM, R Hiitter (1981) Degradation of 5-triazines a critical view of biodegradation. In Microbial Degradation of Xenobiotics and Recalcitrant Compounds (Eds T Leisinger, AM Cook, R Hiitter, J Niiesch), pp. 237-249. Academic Press, London. 

Slater JH, D Lovatt (1984) Biodegradation and the significance of microbial communities. In Microbial Degradation of Organic Compounds (Ed DT Gibson), pp. 439-485. Marcel Dekker Inc, New York. 

Traps with Bio-Sep beads amended with [ Cg]-benzene and [ C]-toluene were used to assess biodegradation in an aquifer (Geyer et al. 2005). Beads were lyophilized after exposure, lipids were extracted with chloroform-methanol, and the fatty acids and values analyzed. High enrichment of was observed in several fatty acids, which showed that the label from the substrates had been incorporated. In addition, there were differences in the abundance of the fatty acids in beads amended with benzene or toluene that suggested the existence of different microbial degradative populations. 

Trudgill PW (1978) Microbial degradation of alicyclic hydrocarbons. In Developments in Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons-1 (Ed RJ Watkinson), pp. 47-84. Applied Science Publishers Ltd, London. 

White GF, NJ Russell (1994) Biodegradation of anionic surfactants and related molecules. In Biochemistry of Microbial Degradation (Ed C Ratledge), pp. 143-177. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 

Tabak and colleagues111 found most compounds in the group to be subject to significant degradation under experimental aerobic conditions. At least ten of the compounds are subject to biodegradation under anaerobic conditions. Britton112 discusses microbial degradation of aliphatic hydrocarbons in more detail. 

Howard, P.H., Hueber, A.E., Mulesky, B.C., Crisman, J.S., Meylan, W., Crosbie, E., Gray, D.A., Sage, G.W., Howard, K.P, LaMacchia, A., Boethling, R., Troast, R. (1986) Biology, biodegradation and fate/exposure New files on microbial degradation and toxicity as well as environmental fate/exposure of chemicals. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 5, 977-988. 

Investigation of the pronounced resistance of ABS to microbial degradation demonstrated that the branched alkyl chain derived from tetrapropylene was responsible for the longevity of ABS in the aquatic environment [74], Shortly after this discovery, the surfactant industry reacted and made attempts—in some countries additionally forced by legal restrictions—to provide an alternative surfactant with comparable functional properties, but with inherent biodegradability. The outcome was the introduction of LAS on the detergent market. After the switch from ABS to LAS in almost all nations in the mid 1960s, a substantial drop in the levels of ABS was observed [8],... 

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