Biodegradation of Alachlor by a Newly Isolated Bacterium: Degradation Pathway and Product Analysis

Alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl]acetamide] is a chloroacetanilide herbicide and has been widely used as selective pre-emergent post-emergent to control weeds grass. Due its wide usage, direct application on the ground, high solubility in water, moderate persistence, alachlor metabolites have detected various environments. Therefore, there an increasing concern about environmental fate of metabolites. Microbial biodegradation main method removal natural environment. In this study, we isolated new degrading bacterium proposed novel alachlor-degrading pathway. The bacterial strain, GC-A6, was identified Acinetobacter sp. using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. GC-A6 utilized sole carbon source degraded 100 mg L−1 within 48 h, which highest degradation efficiency. pathway studied GC-MS initially 2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl) acetamide, further 2,6-diethylaniline 7-ethylindoline, respectively. 2,6-Diethylaniline transformed into N-(2,6-diethylphenyl) formamide. formamide first-reported intermediate during by single isolate.