Handbook of Solvents - George Wypych - ChemTech - Ventech!

870 Tilman Hahn, Konrad Botzenhart
14.4.2.4.1.2 Antimicrobial effects, microbial test systems
The toxic mechanisms of solvents to microorganisms described above (see Section
14.4.2.2) are frequently used in effects of antimicrobial agents.
The damage of microbial biomembranes is fundamentally connected with the
antimicrobial effects of several solvents on bacteria. 45
Biomembranes and other microbial structures can be affected by solvents via similar
processes as described. Relevant examples are naked viruses which are generally more resistant
to viruzi agents because the envelopes of viruses are damaged by viruzi substances
such as some solvents. Another example of solvent-like interactions are effects of
antimicrobial agents to capsules of bacterial spores, e.g., Bacillus species.
Bacterial or enzymatic toxicity tests are used to assay the activity of organic compounds
including solvents. A survey of environmental bacterial or enzymatic test systems is
given by Bitton and Koopman. 46 The principles of these test systems are based on bacterial
properties (growth, viability, bioluminescence, etc.) or enzymatic activities and
biosynthesis. The toxicity of several solvents were tested in bacterial or enzymatic systems,
e.g., pure solvents such as phenol in growth inhibition assays (Aeromonas sp.), 46 solvents in
complex compounds such as oil derivates, 46,47 solvents in environmental samples such as
sediments or solvents used in the test systems. 46,48,49 The efficiency of several test systems,
e.g., Microtox tests or ATP assays, vary, e.g., looking at the effects of solvents. 46
14.4.2.4.1.3 Industrial processes
In industrial processes the main microbial activities connected with solvents are:
• Processes in biotechnology, biotransformation and biocatalysis, 50,51 e.g., production
of chemicals from hydrophobic substrates or use of solvents as starting materials for
microbiological reactions.
• Bioremediation: degradation of environmental pollutants, e.g., wastewater
treatment or bioremediation in biofilm reactors. 52-55
Various microorganisms and microbial mechanisms are relevant in these industrial
processes. Examples are conversion processes of organic substances, e.g., by bacterial
oxygenases. 56,57 Normally low-molecular-weight aromatic hydrocarbons including solvents
are converted in these biotransformation processes. 58
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