Characterization of a fungal strain capable of degrading chlorpyrifos and its use in detoxification of the insecticide on vegetables.

A fungal strain capable of utilizing chlorpyrifos as sole carbon and energy sources was isolated from soil by enrichment cultivation approach. The half-lives of degradation (DT(50)) for chlorpyrifos at concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 mg l(-1) by the fungal strain DSP in mineral salt medium were measured to be 2.03, 2.93, and 3.49 days, respectively. Two cell-free extracts [E (1:10) and E (1:20)] from the fungal strain DSP in bran-glucose medium were prepared and used to enhance chlorpyrifos degradation on vegetables. Compared with the controls, the DT(50) of chlorpyrifos were reduced by 70.3%, 65.6%, 80.6%, 80.6%, and 86.1%, and by 53.8%, 43.2%, 66.0%, 54.3%, and 67.7% on E (1:20) and E (1:10) treated pakchoi, water spinach, Malabar spinach, haricot beans, and pepper, respectively. The 7-day residual values (R (7)) of chlorpyrifos on E (1:10) treated vegetables were all lower than the corresponding maximum residue levels of European Union (EU MRLs), except that the R (7) value on haricot beans was slightly higher than the corresponding EU MRLs. The results indicate that cell-free extracts could rapidly degrade chlorpyrifos residues on vegetables.