Isolation and identification of α-Endosulfan degrading bacteria from insect microflora

Abstract

Increasing of industrialization and population has resulted in the accumulation of a wide variety of chemicals. Especially, widespread use of synthetic and toxic chemicals have led to an effort to improve new technologies to reduce or eliminate these contaminants from the environment. Chemical methods that used for the treatment of toxic materials are expensive, time-consuming and difficult, especially in extensive agricultural areas. Furthermore these methods led to formation of new chemical pollutants. Recent years, one promising alternative treatment method is to use of microorganisms for the biodegradation of these toxic chemicals. This method is effective, minimally hazardous, economical, versatile and environment friendly. In this study, we thought that microflora of insecticide resistant insects may be a potential reservoir for the isolation of new bacteria that can be used for the biodegradation of insecticides. In this research work, totally 24 bacterial isolates capable of biodegradation α-endosulsan were isolated from the body microflora of insects belong to Orthoptera, Dermaptera, Mantodea and Hymenoptera orders. Based on the some morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics and fatty acid profiles they were identified as Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Flavimonas and Rhodococcus. As a result, these isolates can be used for the treatment of α-endosulfan residues at different environments.