Microbiological degradation of (-)-geosmin

One of the musty odour components in drinking water, (-)-geosmin was microbiologically degraded with the backwash water collected from a biological filter pilot plant at Lake Biwa (Japan) and activated sludge obtained from Sendai City Sewerage Bureau; in this process the presence of ethanol was essential for acceleration of the reaction. Four biodegradation products were detected by gas chromatography, among which a dehydration product and an oxidation product were identified by mass spectroscopic comparison with unambiguously synthesized authentic samples.