Microbial degradation of disodium terephthalate by alkaliphilic Dietzia sp. strain GS-1.

An alkaliphilic Dietzia sp., strain GS-1, which degraded disodium terephthalate (DT), was isolated from soil. Strain GS-1 degraded 19.3 mM of DT in 168 h at pH 10. The maximum degradation velocity was 0.46 mM/h. The resting cells efficiently degraded 28.7 mM of DT in 51 h at 28 degrees C and pH 10. The degradation velocity was 0.41 mM/(h g-wet cell).