Premium
Degradation of atrazine in laboratory microcosms: Isolation and identification of the biodegrading bacteria
Author(s) -
Mirgain I.,
Green G.A.,
Monteil H.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620120911
Subject(s) - atrazine , microcosm , biodegradation , bacteria , environmental chemistry , acinetobacter calcoaceticus , pseudomonas , aquatic ecosystem , enrichment culture , bioaugmentation , bioremediation , microorganism , agar plate , chemistry , biology , pesticide , microbiology and biotechnology , acinetobacter , ecology , genetics
Abstract Several natural ecosystems, including soil and water microcosms, have been explored for their potential to biodegrade atrazine (2‐chloro‐4‐[ethylamino]‐6‐[isopropylamino]‐1,3,5‐triazine). Subculturing soil or water samples with several applications of the herbicide leads to an enhancement of atrazine catabolism correlating with a decrease in the number of bacterial species. A combination of enrichment culture techniques, the imposition of carbon limitation, and plating on selective atrazine‐agar plates have permitted the isolation of several bacteria able to biodegrade atrazine from different polluted or unpolluted ecosystems. One of the selected bacteria, originating from an agricultural soil, has been identified as Acinetobacter calcoaceticus , which alone in pure culture can degrade atrazine. From another agricultural soil Pseudomonas alcaligenes associated with an Agrobactenum sp. was selected. A garden soil treated only once with the herbicide was found to contain an association of five different bacteria that together degrade atrazine. Finally, a Pseudomonas putida/Xanthomonas maltophilia pair has been isolated from an aquatic ecosystem. In consortium, in coculture, or in pure culture with well‐defined experimental parameters, the induced bacteria degrade added atrazine in 18 h.