• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1 s.129
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• pp.48-57
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• 2005

Phthalate esters are known as plasticizers and some of them suspected as endocrine disrupting chemicals. In this study, in order to identify the mechanism of phthalate esters degradation by white rot fungus, phthalic acid, which is major metabolite in the biodegradation of phthalate esters, was used. Phthalic acid 50 ppm was treated in culture medium with Polyporus brumalis. The availability of ABTS oxidation was different from control and phthalic acid treated group after 4 days of incubation. The activity was gradually increased in control group, but not in phthalic acid treated group. Especially, esterase activity of control group was maximized at 10 days of incubation, and then decreased while the activity of phthalic acid treated group was increased. Glucose was used as a carbon source, and the difference of glucose consumption by control and phthalic acid treated group was not significant. However, after 6 days of incubation the residual glucose in culture medium was rapidly decreased. The consumption rate of phthalic acid treated group was lower than control. These results might indicate that the absorption of phthalic acid in culture medium was occurred by mycelium and metabolized through some pathways as that of glucose was. To clearify the chemical modification of phthalic acid in culture medium, phthalic acid was reacted under in vitro condition which mycelium was excluded. The metabolites were analyzed by GC/MS. The results showed that phthalic acid was converted to phthalic acid anhydride by the extracellular enzymes of P. brumalis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.122-126
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• 2001

Eleven bacterial strains which were able to utilize terephthalic acid as a carbon and an energy source for growth were isolated from the soil of 7 water quality evaluation points in Kyonggi area of Korea. According to the report from the authorities, biochemical oxygen demands of the water at 4 points were reported over 20 ppm but those of 3 points were repOlted less than 2 ppm in 1997. Optimum temperatures of growth and terephthalic acid degrading activity of some isolates were not identical but optimum growth temperature was 30$^{\circ}$C. Most of the isolates utilized one or two of the phthalate isomers as a carbon source for growth and the isolates from the 4 contaminated points showed higher terephthalic acid degrading activity than those from the 3 clean points.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.432-438
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• 2007

Environmentally important phthalic esters have been analyzed by GC-MS in terms of individual phthalic esters or total phthalic esters directly or after derivatization. Derivatization improves the chromatographic characteristics of the highly polar phthalic esters. This study focused on the GC-MS determination of the total phthalic esters and the individual phthalic esters simultaneously. The phthalic esters were hydrolyzed to phthalate and corresponding alcohols in 1 M NaOH solution at 90 oC for 30 min followed by extraction with ethyl acetate after acidifcation. The phthalic acid and alcohols were simultaneously silyl derivatized using bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) to their corresponding silyl ester and ethers in the mixture of 60% acetone and 40% ethyl acetate at room temperature within 30 min. Because of the high reactivity of BSTFA with the phthalic acid and alcohols effective silyl derivatization was possible simultaneously. GC-MS analysis of the silyl derivatives of phthalic acid and alcohols was performed. The total phthalic ester content was estimated from the analytical result of phthalic silyl ester, while the individual phthalic ester was quantified from the analytical results of alcoholic silyl ethers. This technique was applied to spiked tab water and real seawater samples from the Lake Shihwa in Korea. The results were checked against the results from the direct GC-MS analysis of the phthalic esters and reasonable recoveries with high sensitivity were achieved. The recoveries were higher than 75% with low relative standard deviation (below 10%).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.177-181
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• 2003

Eleven bacterial strains which are able to utilize terephthalic acid as a carbon and an energy source for growth were isolated from the soil of 7 water quality evaluation points in Kyonggi area of Korea. Phthalic acid isomer degrading activity of the isolates from the 4 contaminated points was higher than those from the 3 clean points. Among 11 isolates, 4 isolates which have high terephthalic acid degrading activity and degrade two phthalic acid isomers were identified by partal 16S rDNA sequence determination. One of them was identified as Pseudomonas putida, and the others as Comamonas testosteroni. Thus a large number of phthalic acid isomer degrading bacteria in domestic soil were inferred as C. testosteroni. On the basis of these results, the PCR detection of C. testosteroni in soil was applied to monitor soil contamination by phthalic acid isomers. The DNA of C. test-osteroni extracted from 4 g soil was directly detected by PCR with C. testosteroni specific primer pair. The amount of PCR products was different according to sampling sites and more PCR products were obtained from contaminated sites than those from clean sites (Gulpo-chun＞Anyang-chun＞Hwangguji-chun>Shin-chun＞Huk-chun＞Pukhan-river>Kapyeong-chun). This result was coincided with that of the viable cell counts for terephthalic acid degrading bacteria.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.64-70
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• 1996

Wool yarns were treated in dimethylformamide solutions containing various concntrations of three dibasic acid anhydrides: succinic, itaconic, and phthalic arthydrides in various conditions. The structurl aspects of these dibasic acid anhydries are different: succinic, itaconic, and phthalic acid arthydrides have saturated aliphatic ethylene, unsaturated aliphatic vinyl and aromatic phenyl one groups, respectively. The properties of acylated wool keratin are as follows: Decreasing amino group and increasing carboxyl group by acylation lowered the hydrophilic property, and then moisture regain, and decreased acid dye uptake and enhanced cationic dye uptake of wool keratin. In the case of phthalic acid anhydries, in spite of lowest acyl content, the minimum of moisture regain was resulted from the bulk benzen ring, occuping much more voids on wool keratin molecules than other reagents. Acid solubility was increased by the decrease of amino group and hydrogen bonding by acylation. Alkali solubility was also increased formation of new amide group on the side chain of keratin, which can be degraded easily by alkali. In the case of phthalic acid anhydride, the relative high solubility was resulted from the much higher molecular weight of dissolved fractions. The surface of wool keratin was not damaged by treatment with any acylating agent.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 1995

Wool yarns were treated in dimethylformamide solutions containing various concentrations of three dibasic acid anhydrides : succinic, itaconic, and phthalic anhydrides in various conditions. The structural aspects of these dibasic acid anhydrides are different : the succinic, itaconic, and phthalic acid anhydrides have saturated aliphatic etylene, unsaturated aliphatic vinyl and aromatic phenyl groups, respectively. The reaction mechanism of the acylation of wool keratin and some resction conditions were invastigated. And the results are as follows. 1. The N-acylation and formation of free carboxyl group were dominant rather than the O-acylation cross-linked on the side chain of polypeptide. The acylation of wool keratin is easier than that of silk fibroin. 2. The higher molecular weight, steric hinderance and resonance caused lower acylating reactivity. By the determination of acyl contents for acylated keratin, it was rerealed that the degree of acylation was succinic acid anhydride > itaconic acid anhhydride > phthalic acid anhydride.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.191-203
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• 2011

There has been growing concern about the toxicity of phthalate esters. Phthalate esters are being used widely for the production of perfume, nail varnish, hairsprays and other personal/cosmetic uses. Recently, exposure to phthalates has been assessed by analyzing urine for their metabolites. The parent phthalate is rapidly metabolized to its monoester (the active metabolite) and also glucuronidated, then excreted. The objective of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of phthalic acid (PA), which is the final common metabolic form of phthalic acid esters (PAEs). The individual PA isomers are extensively employed in the synthesis of synthetic agents, for example isophthalic acid (IPA), and terephthalic acid (TPA), which have very broad applications in the preparation of phthalate ester plasticizers and components of polyester fiber, film and fabricated items. There is a broad potential for exposure by industrial workers during the manufacturing process and by the general public (via vehicle exhausts, consumer products, etc). This review suggests that PA shows in vitro and in vivo toxicity (mutagenicity, developmental toxicity, reproductive toxicity, etc.). In addition, PA seems to be a useful biomarker for multiple exposure to PAEs in humans.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1037-1043
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• 2005

Kinetic study on the cleavage of N-methylphthalamic acid (NMPA) in mixed acidic aqueous-acetonitrile solvent reveals the formation of both phthalic anhydride (PAn) (through O-cyclization) and N-methylphthalimide (NMPT) (through N-cyclization). The formation of NMPT varies from $\sim$20% to $\sim$3% with the increase in the content of acetonitrile from 2 to 70% v/v. Pseudo first-order rate constants for the formation of PAn are more than 4-fold larger than those for the formation of NMPT at 2% v/v $CH_3CN$ in mixed aqueous solvents. Pseudo first-order rate constants for alkaline hydrolysis of NMPT reveal a nonlinear decrease with increase in the content of $CH_3CN$ in mixed aqueous solvents.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.744-748
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• 2010

2,3,4,5-Tetrafluorobenzoic acid, an important intermediates of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, was synthesized from tetrachloride phthalic anhydride through imidation, fluorination, hydrolysis and decarboxylation. The effects of phase transfer catalyst on imidation and fluorination reaction and the effects of surfactants on the hydrolysis reaction were studied, respectively. Experimental results showed that the imidation reaction time was greatly reduced in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst, hexadecyltrimethyl, resulting in imidation yield as high as 98.2%. The fluorination yield reached 81.3% when tetrabutylammonium bromide was chosen as a phase transfer catalyst. The hydrolysis reaction time was also decreased by adding hexadecyltrimethyl while increasing the yield to 88.6%. In the post-processing, the sublimation method was used to purify the product, and ideal effect was obtained. In the decarboxylation reaction, tetrafluoride phthalic acid was obtained by decarboxylation in the solvent of tri-n-butyl amine and decarboxylation yield reached 81.6%. Compared with the literature method, the overall reaction time of the improved method decreased from 53 h to 20.5 h and the total yield increased from 47.3% to 57.4%.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 2009

Saturated n-dicarboxylic acids ($C_2-C_7$, $C_9$), unsaturated dicarboxylic acids (maleic, fumaric, phthalic acid), ketocarboxylic acids (pyruvic, glyoxylic acid), and dicarbonyls (glyoxal, methylglyoxal) were determined in size-segregated samples with a high-volume Andersen air sampler at a suburban site in Saitama, Japan, May 12-17 and July 24-27, 2007 and January 22-31, 2008. The seasonal average concentrations of these detected organic acids were 670 $ng/m^3$, accounting for about 4.4-5.7% (C/C) of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and 2.3-3.6% (C/C) of organic carbon (OC). The most abundant species of dicarboxylic acids was oxalic acid, followed by malonic, phthalic, or succinic acids. Glyoxylic acid and methyglyoxal were most abundant ketocarboxylic acid and dicarbonyl, respectively. Seasonal differences, size-segregated concentrations, and the correlations of these acids with ambient temperatures, oxidants, elemental carbon (EC), OC, WSOC, and ionic components were also discussed in terms of their corresponding sources and possible secondary formation pathways. The results suggested that photochemical reactions contributed more to the formation of particulate organic acids in Saitama suburban areas than did direct emissions from anthropogenic and natural sources. However, direct emissions of vehicles were also important sources of several organic acids in particles, such as phthalic and adipic acids, especially in winter.