M. Wenk et al., RAPID ATRAZINE MINERALIZATION IN SOIL SLURRY AND MOIST SOIL BY INOCULATION OF AN ATRAZINE-DEGRADING PSEUDOMONAS SP. STRAIN, Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 49(5), 1998, pp. 624-630
The evaluation of pesticide-mineralising microorganisms to clean-up co
ntaminated soils was studied with the widely applied and easily detect
able compound atrazine, which is rapidly mineralised by several microo
rganisms including the Pseudomonas sp. strain Yaya 6. The rate of atra
zine removal was proportional to the water content of the soil and the
amount of bacteria added to the soil. In soil slurry, 6 mg atrazine k
g soil(-1) was eliminated within 1 day after application of 0.3 g dry
weight inoculant biomass kg soil(-1) and within 5 days when 0.003 g kg
soil(-1) was used. In partially saturated soil (60% of the maximal wa
ter-holding capacity) 15 mg atrazine kg soil(-1) was eliminated within
2 days by 1 g biomass kg soil(-1) and within 25 days when 0.01 g biom
ass kg soil(-1) was used. In unsaturated soil, about 60% [U-ring-C-14]
atrazine was converted to (CO2)-C-14 within 14 days. Atrazine was very
efficiently removed by the inoculant biomass, not only in soil that w
as freshly contaminated but also in soil aged with atrazine for up to
260 days. The bacteria exposed to atrazine in unsaturated sterile soil
were still active after a starvation period of 240 days: 15 mg newly
added atrazine kg soil was eliminated within 5 days.