Abstract
Fungal species were isolated which utilize organophosphate pesticides,viz. phosphorothioic (pirimiphos-methyl and pyrazophos), phosphorodithioic (dimethoate and malathion), phosphonic (lancer) and phosphoric (profenfos) acid derivatives. Pesticide degradation was studiedin vitro andin vivo (soil).Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. sydowii, A. terreus, Emericella nidulans, Fusarium oxysporum andPenicillium chrysogenum were isolated from pesticide-treated wheat straw. The number ofA. sydowii colonies was significantly promoted by 1 mmol/L pirimiphos-methyl, pyrazophos, lancer, dimethoate and malathion when used as phosphorus sources and by pirimiphos-methyl and pyrazophos when used as carbon sources. The number ofA. flavus colonies increased with 0.5 mmol/L lancer and malathion used as the only carbon sources.A. sydowii, A. niger, A. flavus, E. nidulans andF. oxysporum grew on, and utilized, 5 pesticides as phosphorus source and showed more than 50% mass growth.A. sydowii, A. flavus andF. oxysporum phosphatase hydrolyzed the pesticides suggesting that these species are important pesticide degraders.A. sydowii produced higher amounts of the phosphatase thanA. flavus andF. oxysporum. The enzyme was highly active against pyrazophos, lancer and malathion used as the only sources of organic phosphate.A. flavus andA. sydowii phosphatases efficiently hydrolyzed pesticides at 300 ppm in soil, the degradation at 1000 ppm was lower. Mineralization of 1000 ppm pesticides in soil amended with wheat straw was higher than in nonamended soil. All added pesticides except profenfos were degraded within 3 weeks. Lyophilized adapted biomass ofA. flavus andA. sydowii could thus be used for field biodegradation of these pesticides.
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Hasan, H.A.H. Fungal utilization of organophosphate pesticides and their degradation byAspergillus flavus andA. sydowii in soil. Folia Microbiol 44, 77–84 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02816226
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02816226