Biodegradation of phthalic acid ester in soil by indigenous and introduced microorganisms

The biodegradation of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in soil microcosoms by indigenous microbial population and a DBP degrading inoculum as well as DBP adsorption by soil was investigated. The results demonstrated that the adsorption of DBP by soil conformed to Freundlich equation. The indigenous bacteria were capable of degrading phthalate in soil. The innoculation of the soil with DBP degrader enhanced the DBP degradation rate. The enumeration of microorganisms indicated a good correlation between phthalate degradation and microbial counts.