Studies on surfactant function and its environmental science

Abstract

The fact that the surfactant, octylphenol polyethoxylates (OPEOn), selectively solubilized epicuticular wax suggested the enhanced performance of foliar-applied agrochemicals. The biodegradation process of OPEOn by exoterminal oxidation and subsequent ether cleavage of the EO chain was precisely characterized by the identification of the key intermediate and the cloned alcohol oxidase. Environmental elements, such as Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe3+, may influence the activity and rate of biodegradation in the environment. A highly reliable method for phylogenetic analysis at the strain level was developed using ribosomal subunit proteins, as theoretical biomarkers, encoded in the S10-spc-alpha operon with a validation procedure. © 2011, Pesticide Science Society of Japan. All rights reserved.