Abstract
Chlordecone (Kepone®) is a synthetic organochlorine insecticide (C10Cl10O) used worldwide mostly during the 1970 and 1980s. Its intensive application in the French West Indies to control the banana black weevil Cosmopolites sordidus led to a massive environmental pollution. Persistence of chlordecone in soils and water for numerous decades even centuries causes global public health and socio-economic concerns. In order to investigate the biodegradability of chlordecone, microbial enrichment cultures from soils contaminated by chlordecone or other organochlorines and from sludge of a wastewater treatment plant have been conducted. Different experimental procedures including original microcosms were carried out anaerobically over long periods of time. GC-MS monitoring resulted in the detection of chlorinated derivatives in several cultures, consistent with chlordecone biotransformation. More interestingly, disappearance of chlordecone (50 μg/mL) in two bacterial consortia was concomitant with the accumulation of a major metabolite of formula C9Cl5H3 (named B1) as well as two minor metabolites C10Cl9HO (named A1) and C9Cl4H4 (named B3). Finally, we report the isolation and the complete genomic sequences of two new Citrobacter isolates, closely related to Citrobacter amalonaticus, and that were capable of reproducing chlordecone transformation. Further characterization of these Citrobacter strains should yield deeper insights into the mechanisms involved in this transformation process.
Highlights
Chlordecone (Kepone R, C10Cl10O) is an organochlorine pesticide formerly used worldwide (Europe, USA, Latin America, Africa as well as in Asia) (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.3/10, 2007; Fritz, 2009; Le Déault and Procaccia, 2009; Joly, 2010)
Chlordecone was intensively applied in the French West Indies for the control of the banana root borer (1972– 1978; 1981–1993) despite hints of high toxicity reported in a number of animal species (Epstein, 1978)
Chlordecone persists in the environment (Cabidoche et al, 2009; Fernández-Bayo et al, 2013; Devault et al, 2016), and since it bioaccumulates as it moves through the food chain, it was listed in the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) prohibition list of the Stockholm Convention (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.1/INF/6, 2005)
Summary
Chlordecone (Kepone R , C10Cl10O) is an organochlorine pesticide formerly used worldwide (Europe, USA, Latin America, Africa as well as in Asia) (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.3/10, 2007; Fritz, 2009; Le Déault and Procaccia, 2009; Joly, 2010). Biodegradation of Chlordecone potato beetle is made from chlordecone by addition of ethyl levulinate onto the ketone function (Gilbert et al, 1966) Both compounds are known to generate chlordecone among other degradative metabolites in environmental conditions (Le Déault and Procaccia, 2009). Recent epidemiological and toxicological studies have demonstrated that chlordecone is a reproductive and developmental toxicant, an endocrine-disrupting chemical and a neurotoxic. It is consistently associated with an increase in the risk of prostate cancer (Multigner et al, 2010, 2016; Cordier et al, 2015; Emeville et al, 2015). Chlordecone persists in the environment (Cabidoche et al, 2009; Fernández-Bayo et al, 2013; Devault et al, 2016), and since it bioaccumulates as it moves through the food chain, it was listed in the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) prohibition list of the Stockholm Convention (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.1/INF/6, 2005)
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