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Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was the major phthalic acid ester in the Mississippi River estuary, with mean levels of 0.1 ,tg/g (dry weight) in surface sediments, 1.0 jig/liter in river water, and 0.7 ,ug/liter in delta water. Bacteria that grew aerobically on dibutyl phthalate and o-phthalic acid were readily detected in the sediments and water. Pure cultures of bacteria were isolated on seven different phthalic acid esters from freshwater and marine sources. The marine isolates were taxonomically diverse and grew on a variety of phthalic acid esters. Dibutyl phthalate and o-phthalic acid supported growth in full-strength synthetic seawater medium, but Na+-dependent catabolism was demonstrable only for ophthalic acid.

The concentrations of the ionic, particulate, and total soluble copper in waters off Florida were determined spectrophotometrically.Most of the copper was in the soluble organic complex.Nearshore waters had significantly more total copper (approximately 20 ,ug/liter) than the waters flowing through the center of the Straits of Florida (approximately 10 pg/liter ) . Ionic copper concentrations were always less than 2pg/liter, and the particulate copper concentrations rarely exceeded 0.2 pg/liter.