A Gram-negative bacterial strain, Pseudomonas putida TX2 (PTA-6169 and BCRC 910232), was isolated from farmland, which had received frequent applications of a various pesticides and surfactants. This strain was demonstrated to have the capacity to grow on alkylphenol polyethoxylates (0.05% to 20%) or alkylphenol (0.001% to 0.01%) as sole source of carbon and energy. The metabolic activity of this strain can be applied in the degradation of organic polymers containing ethoxylate units, alkylphenol and alkylphenol derivatives.