Details zur Publikation

Kategorie Textpublikation
Referenztyp Zeitschriften
DOI 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.089
Titel (primär) Degradation of polystyrene and selected analogues by biological Fenton chemistry approaches: opportunities and limitations
Autor Krueger, M.C.; Seiwert, B.; Prager, A.; Zhang, S.; Abel, B.; Harms, H.; Schlosser, D. ORCID logo
Quelle Chemosphere
Erscheinungsjahr 2017
Department OEC; UMB; ANA
Band/Volume 173
Seite von 520
Seite bis 528
Sprache englisch
Keywords Fungi; Biodegradation; Polymers; Polystyrene; Fenton chemistry; Model compounds
UFZ Querschnittsthemen RU3;
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.
dauerhafte UFZ-Verlinkung https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=18374
Krueger, M.C., Seiwert, B., Prager, A., Zhang, S., Abel, B., Harms, H., Schlosser, D. (2017):
Degradation of polystyrene and selected analogues by biological Fenton chemistry approaches: opportunities and limitations
Chemosphere 173 , 520 - 528 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.089