title: A monograph on the remediation of hazardous phthalates.
abstract: Phthalates or phthalic acid esters are a group of xenobiotic and hazardous compounds blended in plastics to enhance their plasticity and versatility. Enormous quantities of phthalates are produced globally for the production of plastic goods, whose disposal and leaching out into the surroundings cause serious concerns to the environment, biota and human health. Though in silico computational, in vitro mechanistic, pre-clinical animal and clinical human studies showed endocrine disruption, hepatotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic properties, usage of phthalates continues due to their cuteness, attractive chemical properties, low production cost and lack of suitable alternatives. Studies revealed that microbes isolated from phthalate-contaminated environmental niches efficiently bioremediate various phthalates. Based upon this background, this review addresses the enumeration of major phthalates used in industry, routes of environmental contamination, evidences for health hazards, routes for in situ and ex situ microbial degradation, bacterial pathways involved in the degradation, major enzymes involved in the degradation process, half-lives of phthalates in environments, etc. Briefly, this handy module would enable the readers, environmentalists and policy makers to understand the impact of phthalates on the environment and the biota, coupled with the concerted microbial efforts to alleviate the burden of ever increasing load posed by phthalates.
authors.affiliation: Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Biotechnology Division, Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala 673 635, India. Electronic address: benjamin@uoc.ac.in.
authors.forename: Sailas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.affiliation: Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Biotechnology Division, Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala 673 635, India.
authors.forename: Selvanesan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pradeep
authors.affiliation: Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Biotechnology Division, Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala 673 635, India.
authors.forename: Moolakkariyil Sarath
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Josh
authors.affiliation: Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Division, CSIR-NEERI Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-2137, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Masai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D010968:Plasticizers
keywords: Half-life; Health hazards; In situ and ex situ degradation; Pathways; Phthalates; Remediation