Microbial Degradation of Several Acetamide, Acylanilide, Carbamate, Toluidine and Urea Pesticides

Soil enrichment was used to isolate soil microorganisms capable of degrading isopropyl carbanilate (propham), 3’,4’-dichloropropionanilide (propanil), 3’-chloro-2-methylp-valerotoluidide (solan), and methyl 3,4-dichlorocarbanilate (swep) in a muck and a silty clay loam. Degradation of the pesticides in enrichment solutions, and by pure cultures of effective microbial isolates was demonstrated by the production of the corresponding aniline, chloride ion liberation and disappearance of the parent compound. Degradation products were identified by gas-liquid and thin-layer chromatography. Organisms isolated include Pseudomonas striata Chester, Achromobacter sp., Aspergillus ustus (Bain) Thorn and Church, A. versicolor (Quill. Tirabaschi), Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht, F. solani (Martius) Appel and Wollenweber, Penicillium chrysogenum Thorn, P. janthinellum Biourge, P. rugulosum Thorn and Trichoderma viride Pers. Bach organism demonstrated a unique substrate specificity and was capable of degrading other aniline-based pesticides of the acetamide, acylanilide, carbamate, toluidine and urea classes.