ABSTRACT
Hydrolysis is the rst step in the degradation of a number of important contaminants. These include o-phthalate esters used as plasticizers; organophosphate, organothiophosphate, and organodithiophosphate insecticides; phosphoro uoridates that have been considered as chemical warfare agents; aliphatic sulfates in surfactants; and polyester polyurethane (Akutsu et al. 1998). In addition, there are important naturally occurring phosphonates, phosphates, and pyrophosphates; polysaccharide sulfates; linear alkyl (C16-C30) sulfates; and sulfate conjugate esters of phenolic compounds such as tyrosine sulfate. The hydrolysis of a range of naturally occurring sulfate esters may make an important contribution to the sulfate present in aerobic soils (Fitzgerald 1976), quite apart from the anthropogenic contribution of SOx.
