Effect of chemical structure on the biodegradability of aliphatic acids and alcohols

Sewage microorganisms readily degraded unsubstituted aliphatic acids, but the rate of decomposition was much slower with substituted acids as substrates. The type, number, and position of the substituents governed the rate of the oxidation. A single halogen, particularly if on the alpha-carbon, decreased the rate of biodegradation, but the dihalogenated compounds tested were especially resistant. Dimethyl-substituted aliphatic acids and alcohols were also poorly utilized. Bacteria unable to grow on certain brominated fatty acids were capable of oxidizing and dehalogenating omega- but not alpha-bromoaliphatic acids.