The soil fungus Cladophialophora sp. strain T1 (= ATCC MYA-2335) was capable of growth on a model water-soluble fraction of gasoline that contained all six BTEX components (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylene isomers). Benzene was not metabolized, but the alkylated benzenes (toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) were degraded by a combination of assimilation and cometabolism. Toluene a...

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CA-4 is a bioreactor isolate previously characterised by the presence of a side chain oxidation pathway for ethylbenzene breakdown. In this report a second pathway involving ethylbenzene ring dioxygenation has been identified in this strain. We examine here second substrate inhibition of the genes encoding the initial enzymes of this pathway, using reverse transcr...

Experimental data have been compiled from the published literature on the partition coefficients of solutes and vapors into ethylbenzene and toluene at 298 K. The logarithms of the water-to-ethylbenzene and water-to-toluene partition coefficients, log P, and gas-to-ethylbenzene and gas-to-toluene partition coefficients, log K, were correlated with the Abraham solvation parameter model. The deri...

A genetic algorithm is used to optimize the modified benzene alkylation process. Based on the previous studies, the modified process increases ethylbenzene selectivity and decreases energy consumption at the same time. The inlet ethylene flow rate of each alkylation reactor is optimized in order to reduce the chance of transalkylation reactions but increase ethylbenzene selectivity. The byprodu...

A microbial consortium derived from a gasoline-contaminated aquifer was enriched on toluene (T) in a chemostat at 20 degrees C and was found to degrade benzene (B), ethylbenzene (E), and xylenes (X). Studies conducted to determine the optimal temperature for microbial activity revealed that cell growth and toluene degradation were maximized at 35 degrees C. A consortium enriched at 35 degrees C...