Microbial detoxification of bifenthrin insecticide by selected fungal strains and optimizing conditions using response surface methodology for agricultural sustainability

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2023-10, Vol.195 (10), p.1214, Article 1214
• Main Authors: Majid, Sara, Ahmad, Khuram Shahzad, Al-Qahtani, Wahidah H., Malik, Muhammad Azad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biodegradation; Design; Design optimization; Detoxification; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Eutrophic environments; Eutrophication; Fungi; Incubation period; Insecticides; Metabolites; Methods; Microorganisms; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Penicillium chrysogenum; Pyrethroids; Response surface methodology; Sustainability; Sustainable agriculture; Urban agriculture; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11801-w

Bifenthrin is a type I broad spectrum pyrethroid insecticide widely employed in urban and agricultural settings with little knowledge about its biodegradation. Bifenthrin was subjected to a 35 days incubation period in which it was degraded by five fungal strains named as Aspergillus niger , Aspergillus flavus , Aspergillus fumigatus , Penicillium chrysogenum , and Lasiodiplodia theobromae . Penicillium chrysogenum was found to be extremely effective in degrading bifenthrin up to 85%. Furthermore, response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design is applied to optimize the degradation conditions with varying pH, temperature (°C), and incubation time (days). The p value < 0.05 in the response surface design and analysis of variance showed the significance of the reaction parameters. The ideal conditions for Penicillium chrysogenum to break down bifenthrin (10 mgL −1 ) were found to be 30 °C, pH 7, and a 24 days incubation period. In eutrophic conditions and a glucose-rich media, this fungus co-metabolized bifenthrin. By hydrolytically cleaving the carboxyl ester bond, the Penicillium chrysogenum breaks down bifenthrin, as shown by the chromatogram of four metabolites from GCMS. The biodegradation of bifenthrin by strain Penicillium chrysogenum and its use in agronomic situations are now well understood as per the findings of this study. Graphical Abstract