In Vitro Biofilm-Mediated Biodegradation of Pesticides and Dye-Contaminated Effluents Using Bacterial Biofilms

Iram Liaqat; Awais Khalid; Saima Rubab; Farzana Rashid; Asma Abdul Latif; Sajida Naseem; Asia Bibi; Bushra Nisar Khan; Waiza Ansar; Arshad Javed; Muhammad Afzaal; Muhammad Summer; Samia Majid; Sikander Ali; Muhammad Nauman Aftab

doi:10.3390/microorganisms11092163

In Vitro Biofilm-Mediated Biodegradation of Pesticides and Dye-Contaminated Effluents Using Bacterial Biofilms

Microorganisms. 2023 Aug 26;11(9):2163. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11092163.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Government College University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
² Department of Physics, Hazara University, Mansehra 21300, Pakistan.
³ Department of Pharmacognosy, Lahore Pharmacy College, Lahore Medical & Dental College, Lahore 53400, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Zoology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
⁵ Department of Zoology, University of Education, Lower Mall Campus, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
⁶ Department of Zoology, The Women University, Multan 66000, Pakistan.
⁷ Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54590, Pakistan.
⁸ Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pattoki 55300, Pakistan.
⁹ Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
¹⁰ Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.

Abstract

Overuse of pesticides in agricultural soil and dye-polluted effluents severely contaminates the environment and is toxic to animals and humans making their removal from the environment essential. The present study aimed to assess the biodegradation of pesticides (cypermethrin (CYP) and imidacloprid (IMI)), and dyes (malachite green (MG) and Congo red (CR)) using biofilms of bacteria isolated from pesticide-contaminated soil and dye effluents. Biofilms of indigenous bacteria, i.e., Bacillus thuringiensis 2A (OP554568), Enterobacter hormaechei 4A (OP723332), Bacillus sp. 5A (OP586601), and Bacillus cereus 6B (OP586602) individually and in mixed culture were tested against CYP and IMI. Biofilms of indigenous bacteria i.e., Lysinibacillus sphaericus AF1 (OP589134), Bacillus sp. CF3 (OP589135) and Bacillus sp. DF4 (OP589136) individually and in mixed culture were tested for their ability to degrade dyes. The biofilm of a mixed culture of B. thuringiensis + Bacillus sp. (P7) showed 46.2% degradation of CYP compared to the biofilm of a mixed culture of B. thuringiensis + E. hormaechei + Bacillus sp. + B. cereus (P11), which showed significantly high degradation (70.0%) of IMI. Regarding dye biodegradation, a mixed culture biofilm of Bacillus sp. + Bacillus sp. (D6) showed 86.76% degradation of MG, which was significantly high compared to a mixed culture biofilm of L. sphaericus + Bacillus sp. (D4) that degraded only 30.78% of CR. UV-VIS spectroscopy revealed major peaks at 224 nm, 263 nm, 581 nm and 436 nm for CYP, IMI, MG and CR, respectively, which completely disappeared after treatment with bacterial biofilms. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed the appearance of new peaks in degraded metabolites and disappearance of a peak in the control spectrum after biofilm treatment. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis also confirmed the degradation of CYP, IMI, MG and CR into several metabolites compared to the control. The present study demonstrates the biodegradation potential of biofilm-forming bacteria isolated from pesticide-polluted soil and dye effluents against pesticides and dyes. This is the first report demonstrating biofilm-mediated bio-degradation of CYP, IMI, MG and CR utilizing soil and effluent bacterial flora from Multan and Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan.

Keywords: Congo red; biodegradation; biofilm; cypermethrin; imidacloprid; malachite green.

Grants and funding

75/ORIC/23./The current work was funded by the Office of Research Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC), Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan, via Project No. 75/ORIC/23.