Biodegradation of phthalate in blood bag by fungi

Phthalic acid esters are anthropogenic compounds widely used as plasticizers in plastics as a softening agent. Diethyl (hexyl) phthalate is the predominant phthalic acid ester, which is widely used in plastic medical devices. Diethyl (hexyl) phthalate is less susceptible to biodegradation and thus microbial degradation of these plasticizers in plastics is a great challenge as these materials are increasingly used in the day-to-day needs. Some fungi have the potential for remediating the diethyl (hexyl) phthalate contained in medical devices and thus cleaning the phthalate contaminated sites.