Abstract
Datasets presented here were employed in the main work "Characterization of phthalate-degrading-bacteria from Asian carp microbiomes and riverine sediments" (Kolb et al., 2019a). The carcinogenic compounds dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are ubiquitous in the environment due to widespread production and distribution which can be taken up by aquatic organisms. Asian carp species silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are exposed to phthalates by ingestion and absorption. This article presents data on the characterization of phthalate-degrading bacteria isolated from Asian carp microbiomes and riverine sediments by means of sample collection, enrichment, and isolation. Graphical data presents substrate utilization profiles of consortium SK-1 and Rhodococcus ruber derived from the gut microbiome of H. molitrix. Additionally, phthalate-degrading microbes were isolated from the gut and scale microbiomes of Asian carp where scanning electron microscopy images show the morphology from samples of final enrichment cultures and isolates. Consortium SK-1 was subjected to amplicon sequencing where community data shows the distribution of taxa while enriched with 500 mg L(-1) DMP, DEP, and DBP combined. The data presented can provide insights to future research since other phthalate-degrading isolates and consortia can potentially be isolated from the microbiomes of aquatic organisms.