Fungus isolated from Endosulfan applied soil degrades dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, DDT, and DDE

Scientists from Japan have isolated fungus Mucor racemosus strain DDF from a soil to which endosulfan had been annually applied for more than 10 years. Strain DDF degraded not only dieldrin but also heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, DDT, and DDE. These results suggest that strain DDF could be a candidate for the bioremediation of sites contaminated with various persistent organochlorine pesticides including POPs.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20704234

Environ Sci Technol. 2010 Aug 15;44(16):6343-6349.

EFFECT OF ENDOSULFAN ON SOIL RESPIRATION

A peer reviewed article is published in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 138:181-188. Publication Date: June 16, 2010

A field study was initiated at the United States Department of Agriculture, Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami, FL to examine the effects of endosulfan on soil respiration. Treatments were repeated four times and the study continued over three growing seasons. Respiration from bare soil was similar to that from fields planted to snap bean implying soil microbes were the dominant source of CO2 compared to root respiration.

Endosulfan applications resulted in inconsistent increases in soil respiration. Increases were short-lived. By the end of the study soil respiration was higher in endosulfan treated than untreated plots. Endosulfan had a short-lived inhibitory effect on soil fungi, but bacteria increased in number in response to endosulfan applications.

It is concluded that some bacterial species decomposed the endosulfan and rapidly multiplied causing the increase bacterial colony count. In general there were no adverse effects of endosulfan on soil respiration.

SOURCE: http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/Publications.htm?seq_no_115=241192