Abstract

Although a global ban on the use of endosulfan, an organochloline insecticide, has taken effect in mid-2012, it has been still used in several countries, including India and China, and detected in diverse environments in the world due to its relative persistence and semi-volatility. In this study, the effect of endosulfan on soil bacterial community was investigated using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing method. When endosulfan was applied to an upland soil at a rate of 100 mg/kg soil (ES soil), the number of operational taxonomic units (OTU) and diversity indices for bacteria initially decreased and gradually recovered to the level of the non-treated soil (NT soil) during an eight-week incubation period. At bacterial phylum level, relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were higher while those of Chloroflexi and Spirochaetes were lower in the ES soil than in the NT soil, suggesting that an endosulfan application affects the bacterial community structure in soil. In the ES soil, the relative abundances of the OTUs affiliated to the genera Sphingomonas and Burkholderia increased in the initial period of incubation while those affiliated to the genera Pseudonocardia and Opitutus increased in the late period of incubation. Because the first three genera contain bacterial strains reported to degrade endosulfan, they are expected to be involved in the degradation of endosulfan, probably one after another.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call