Degradation of Parathion by Bacteria Isolated from Flooded Soil

Two bacteria,Bacillus sp. andPseudomonas sp., were isolated from parathionamended flooded alluvial soil which exhibited parathion-hydrolyzing ability.Bacillus sp. readily liberated nitrite from the hydrolysis product,p -nitrophenol, but not from intact parathion.Pseudomonas sp. hydrolyzed parathion and then released nitrite fromp -nitrophenol. These studies establish bacterial degradation of parathion past thep -nitrophenol stage to the end product, nitrite.