title: Effect of substrate interaction on the degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene by Rhodococcus sp.
abstract: It was examined the substrate interactions of benzene (B), tolulene (T), ethylbenzene (E), xylene (X), and methyl tert-butyl ether (M) in binary, ternary, quaternary, and quinary mixtures by Rhodococcus sp. EH831 that could aerobically degrade all of five single components. The specific degradation rates (SDRs) of B, T, E, X, and M were 234, 913, 131, 184 and 139 micromol g-dry cell weight (DCW)(-1)h(-1), respectively. In binary, ternary, quaternary, and quinary mixtures of them, ethylbenzene was the strongest inhibitor for the other substrates, and methyl tert-butyl ether was the weakest inhibitor. Interestingly, no degradation of benzene and methyl tert-butyl ether was found in the coexistence of ethylbenzene. The degradation of benzene followed only after toluene became exhausted when both was present. Ethylbenzene was least inhibited by methyl tert-butyl ether and most inhibited by toluene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung-Suk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D001554:Benzene / Q000378:metabolism; D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000517:prevention & control; D007700:Kinetics; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000378:metabolism*; D012997:Solvents / Q000378:metabolism*; D014050:Toluene / Q000378:metabolism; D014992:Xylenes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D012997:Solvents; D014992:Xylenes; C043243:methyl tert-butyl ether; D014050:Toluene; D001554:Benzene; C004912:ethylbenzene