ANAEROBIC DEGRADATION OF TOLUENE BY PURE CULTURES OF DENITRIFYING BACTERIA

Several denitrifying Pseudomonas spp., isolated with various aromatic compounds, were tested for the ability to degrade toluene in the absence of molecular oxygen. Four out of seven strains were able to degrade toluene in the presence of N2O. More than 50% of the C-14 from ring-labelled toluene was released as CO2, and up to 37% was assimilated into cell material. Furthermore it was demonstrated for two strains that they were able to grow on toluene as the sole carbon and energy source in the presence of N2O. Suspensions of cells pregrown on toluene degraded toluene, benzaldehyde or benzoate without a lag phase and without accumulation of intermediates. p-Cresol, p-hydroxybenzylalcohol, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde or p-hydroxybenzoate was degraded much slower or only after distinct lag times. In the presence of fluoroacetate [C-14]toluene was transformed to [C-14]benzoate, which suggests that anaerobic toluene degradation proceeds through oxidation of the methyl side chain to benzoate.