The standard organic coatings applied to Navy aircraft consist of an epoxy primer and a polyurethane topcoat. The old coatings are routinely stripped in order for new layers to be applied. The stripping process involves removing the coating by sandblasting the aircraft with small plastic pellets. Although unpublished, we have demonstrated an ability of Pseudomonas sp. VM1 to biodegrade the waste products associated with the sandblasting process. A primary objective of this investigation was to determine the growth kinetics associated with the utilization of paint waste products as a sole carbon source for Pseudomonas. Another objective was to ascertain the nature of morphologic changes that occur among the particles of paint during biodegradation. In addition, the study was designed to determine whether phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), a recognized inhibitor of proteolytic enzymes, is capable of modifying the biodegradative process of paint waste by Pseudomonas.