Metabolites from the biodegradation of 1,6-hexanediol dibenzoate, a potential green plasticizer, by Rhodococcus rhodochrous.

Metabolites from the biodegradation of a potential plasticizer 1,6-hexanediol dibenzoate in the presence of n-hexadecane as a co-substrate by the common soil organism Rhodococcus rhodochrous were identified using GC/MS and Fourier transform mass spectroscopy (FTMS) techniques. Trimethylsilylation of compounds from the biodegradation broth permitted detection of the following metabolites: 1-hexadecyl benzoate, 6-benzoyloxyhexanoic acid, 4-benzoyloxybutanoic acid, 6-benzoyloxyhexan-1-ol and benzoic acid. The presence of these metabolites was confirmed by repeating the biodegradation with 1,6-hexanediol di[(2)H(5)]benzoate, by measurement of their exact masses in FTMS and by comparison with available authentic materials. The results show that biodegradation of 1,6-hexanediol dibenzoate by R. rhodochrous does not lead to the accumulation of persistent metabolites as has been reported for commercial dibenzoate plasticizers.