A novel and efficient strategy for the biodegradation of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate by Fusarium culmorum

Abstract

Phthalic acid esters or phthalates are lipophilic chemicals extensively used as plastic additives (plasticizers) to improve the flexibility and mechanical extensibility of various plastic products. Phthalates have been reported as environmental pollutants that cause potential hazards to ecosystems and human health (Zhu et al. 2019 ; Martínez-Razo et al. 2021 ; Schaffert et al. 2022 ). In particular, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most produced and widely used plasticizer in the manufacture of PVC, including rubber, cellulose, and styrene products (e.g., medical devices, packing materials used for food and beverages, industrial and lubricant oils, electric and electronic equipment, adhesives, etc.) (Ren et al. 2017 ; Gilbert and Patrick 2017 ; Sánchez 2021 ). DEHP is a high-molecular-weight phthalate and is considered to have one of the most complex structures to be degraded, owing to its long carbon-chain hydrocarbons (Chang et al. 2004 ; Liu et al. 2010 ; Pérez-Andrés et al. 2017 ). This phthalate is not bound to polymers in the plastic, and therefore, it migrates from the plastic into the environment (Naveen et al. 2022 ). As a consequence, DEHP has been reported as a pollutant in water, air, and soil (Rowdhwal and Chen 2018 ; Yang et al. 2022 ; Wen et al. 2022 ). For example, DEHP has been found in the following concentrations in different environments: 7.5 to 2045 mg/kg in sediments from places where it is manufactured (Green Facts 2008 ), 0.12 to 54.7 μg/L in wastewater used for agricultural irrigation (Lesser et al. 2018 ), 1439 ng/m 3 in urban air in Europe (Guerranti et al. 2019 ), 62.73 to 1233.54 μg/g in house dust (Hantzidakis et al. 2023 ), and 6.23 to 13050 μg/L in different freshwater systems (Fromme et al. 2002 ; Fatoki and Noma 2002 ; Junaid et al. 2018 ). Therefore, it is important to develop environmentally friendly tools for decontaminating environments polluted by DEHP. In this respect, microorganisms have a very important role as biodegraders in nature since they are capable of using organic pollutant compounds as carbon and energy sources (Sánchez 2020 ; 2021 ; Mishra et al. 2022 ; Malik et al. 2023 ; Pant et al. 2023 ). It has been reported that the biodegradation process represents the most effective and low-cost method for the removal of pollutants from the environment (Gao and Wen 2016 ; Panigrahy et al. 2022 ; Bala et al. 2022 ). However, owing to the toxicity of some compounds that may be generated during the microbial degradation process of a pollutant, it is important to study the pathway of biodegradation to ensure that the compounds produced during the breakdown of pollutants are nontoxic (Wackett 2014 ).

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