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A novel and efficient strategy for the biodegradation of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate by Fusarium culmorum
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Scientists discovered that the fungus Fusarium culmorum can break down nearly 97% of DEHP, a common plasticizer found in many plastic products, within about 13 days. DEHP is an endocrine disruptor that raises health concerns when it leaches from plastics into food and water. This biodegradation approach could help clean up DEHP contamination that results from microplastic breakdown in the environment.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer that is used worldwide and raises concerns because of its prevalence in the environment and potential toxicity. Herein, the capability of Fusarium culmorum to degrade a high concentration (3 g/L) of DEHP as the sole carbon and energy source in solid-state fermentation (SSF) was studied. Cultures grown on glucose were used as controls. The biodegradation of DEHP by F. culmorum reached 96.9% within 312 h. This fungus produced a 3-fold higher esterase activity in DEHP-supplemented cultures than in control cultures (1288.9 and 443.2 U/L, respectively). In DEHP-supplemented cultures, nine bands with esterase activity (24.6, 31.2, 34.2, 39.5, 42.8, 62.1, 74.5, 134.5, and 214.5 kDa) were observed by zymography, which were different from those in control cultures and from those previously reported for cultures grown in submerged fermentation. This is the first study to report the DEHP biodegradation pathway by a microorganism grown in SSF. The study findings uncovered a novel biodegradation strategy by which high concentrations of DEHP could be biodegraded using two alternative pathways simultaneously. F. culmorum has an outstanding capability to efficiently degrade DEHP by inducing esterase production, representing an ecologically promising alternative for the development of environmental biotechnologies, which might help mitigate the negative impacts of environmental contamination by this phthalate. KEY POINTS: • F. culmorum has potential to tolerate and remove di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) • Solid-state fermentation is an efficient system for DEHP degradation by F. culmorum • High concentrations of DEHP induce high levels of esterase production by F. culmorum.
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Researchers tested a modified chemical process (Fenton reaction) for breaking down di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a plasticizer that leaches from microplastics into sediments. The process showed promising results for degrading this hard-to-remove contaminant, which is associated with hormone disruption.
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Researchers studied how DEHP, a common plasticizer found in microplastics, affects the microbiome of a marine sponge species. They found that exposure to this chemical altered the microbial communities living within the sponge, which are important for the animal's health and function. The findings highlight that the chemical additives in plastics, not just the physical particles, can disrupt marine organisms.
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Scientists found that a common fungus can break down two of the most widespread plastics (HDPE and PS) into smaller pieces over 70 days, and pre-treating the plastic with UV light (like sunlight exposure) made the fungus even better at breaking it down. This matters because microplastics are showing up in our food, water, and even our bodies, and finding natural, low-cost ways to break them down could help reduce this widespread contamination over time. That said, this is early-stage lab research, so it's not yet a real-world solution for cleaning up plastic pollution.
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