BIODEGRADATION OF SOME PESTICIDES BY SOIL MICROORGANISMS

In view of vital role of microbial degradation in detoxifying the pesticides, the aim of the present study is the isolation of some microorganisms able to degrade diazinon and nemacur (as organophosphate pesticides) from soil to be used as an inoculant to remove their residues from pollutant soil. So, the present study included the isolation of some tolerant microorganisms to these pesticides after enrichment of the soil with them. After that, the isolates were tested for their tolerance to diazinon and nemacur pesticides. And then their abilities to utilize these two pesticides as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen were studied. The persistence and degradation rates of these pesticides in liquid culture and sterilized, non-sterilized and cultivated soil were studied.