Effects of phthalate esters on plant seedlings and reversal by a soil microorganism.

Phthalate esters have been widely used in industrial nations as plasticizers, in cosmetics, insect repellants, and munitions (Ribbons et al., 19847 Peakall, 1975). Due to the abundance of plastic materials in use, it has been estimated that 51 million pounds of phthalate esters leach into the environment annually (Ribbons et al., 1984). Phthalate esters have been found in many environmental samples and in tissues of higher animals (Peakall, 1975; Schneider, 1987), and the u.s. Environmental Protection Agency has classified the six most commonly occuring phthalate esters as Priority Pollutants (Keith and Telliard, 1979). The toxic effects of phthalate esters has been a topic of a recent symposium (Schneider, 1987). Although they do not appear to have significant acute toxicity or to be carcinogenic, there are reports of teratogenic effects in laboratory animals (Peakall, 1975). Phthalate esters are degraded by a number of soil and aquatic bacteria (Ribbons et al., 1984), but degradation is slow and may not keep pace with the increase in environmental contamination.