Isolation of two isocarbophos-degrading bacteria and development of a microbial agent for bioremediation of organophosphorus pesticides contaminated soil

Strains ISOC-05 and ISOC-13 were isolated from soil, which could effectively reduce and detoxify isocarbophos. They were identified as Bacillus licheniformis ISOC-05 and Bacillus pumilus ISOC-13 based on the 16S rRNA analysis. Both ISOC-05 and ISOC-13 had high phosphoesterase activity and could degrade isocarbophos and many other organophosphorus pesticides. The 3-days degradation efficiencies of 10 mg/L isocarbophos by ISOC-05 and ISOC-13 were 86.0% and 72.0%, respectively. ISOC-05 had been successfully developed into a microbial agent. The new microbial agent could be used to degrade isocarbophos in soil, and had achieved many satisfactory results. Based on the research results in this study, it was considered that ISOC-05 and its live bacterial agent could play an important role in bioremediation of isocarbophos contamination.