Isolation and screening for potential endosulfan-degrading bacteria from soil

The urgent need for sustainable management of persistent organic pollutants, due to their negative impact on the environment, is of great concern to environmental stakeholders. In this study, the potential endosulfan-degrading (PED) bacteria were screened and identified from fresh soil samples collected from the Teaching and Research farm of Kwara State University, Nigeria. The bacterial strains were isolated using enrichment techniques and characterized through morphological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. Their potential for endosulfan utilization was assessed in an endosulfan-supplemented mineral salt medium. Three potential endosulfan-degrading (PED) bacterial strains isolated were Achromobacter xylosoxidans strain PED1, Pseudomonas alkylphenolica strain PED2, and Sphingomonas sp. Strain PED3 with the accession numbers MF973060, MF973061 and MF973062 respectively. The optical density (OD) values increased for all the isolates by the third day, and the highest OD values of 0.51 (PED1), 0.52 (PED2) and 0.59 (PED3) were recorded on the ninth day. The observed increase in population density of the isolates in the endosulfan-supplemented mineral salt medium suggests their capability to utilize the endosulfan compound. Further study is required to evaluate the suitability of these strains for bioremediation purposes.