title: Degradation of polystyrene and selected analogues by biological Fenton chemistry approaches: Opportunities and limitations.
abstract: Conventional synthetic polymers typically are highly resistant to microbial degradation, which is beneficial for their intended purpose but highly detrimental when such polymers get lost into the environment. Polystyrene is one of the most widespread of such polymers, but knowledge about its biological degradability is scarce. In this study, we investigated the ability of the polymer-degrading brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum to attack polystyrene via Fenton chemistry driven by the redox-cycling of quinones. Indications of superficial oxidation were observed, but the overall effects on the polymer were weak. To assess factors constraining biodegradation of polystyrene, the small water-soluble model compounds ethylbenzene and isopropylbenzene (cumene) were also subjected to biodegradation by G. trabeum. Likewise, ethylbenzene sulfonate, cumene sulfonate and the dimer 1,3-diphenylbutane sulfonate were used as model compounds for comparison with polystyrene sulfonate, which G. trabeum can substantially depolymerise. All model compounds but cumene were degraded by G. trabeum and yielded a large variety of oxidised metabolites, suggesting that both the very poor bioavailability of polystyrene and its inert basic structure play important roles constraining biodegradability via biologically driven Fenton chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seiwert
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification (IOM), Chemical Department, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prager
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecological Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität (TU) Bergakademie Freiberg, Leipziger Strasse 29, 09596, Freiberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Shangwei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification (IOM), Chemical Department, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Hauke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 04318, Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: dietmar.schlosser@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlosser
mesh_terms: D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D058105:Polymerization; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C045076:Fenton's reagent; D011137:Polystyrenes; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007501:Iron
keywords: Biodegradation; Fenton chemistry; Fungi; Model compounds; Polymers; Polystyrene