Aerobic Microorganisms in Water Readily Breakdown Acrylonitrile

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Aerobic Microorganisms in Water Readily Breakdown Acrylonitrile

Acrylonitrile is a synthetic chemical that does not exist in nature. Acrylic and modacrylic fibres, plastics (including acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile acrylate (ASA), and styrene–acrylonitrile (SAN)), nitrile rubbers, nitrile barrier resins, adiponitrile, acrylamide, and acrylic acid) are all made with it as a raw material.

Acrylonitrile is a man-made volatile organic chemical also known as AN or vinyl cyanide. It's a clear, flammable liquid with a strong odour. Acrylonitrile does not occur naturally on Earth. At industrial sites, it has been identified at sub-ppm levels. It can linger in the atmosphere for up to a week.

It decomposes into formyl cyanide and formaldehyde when it reacts with oxygen and the hydroxyl radical. Acrylonitrile is toxic to aquatic organisms. Acrylonitrile has been discovered in Saturn's moon Titan's atmosphere. Computer simulations reveal that on Titan, conditions exist that allow the substance to form azotosomes, which are structures akin to cell membranes and vesicles on Earth.