Bacterial Degradation of Chlorpyrifos by Bacillus cereus

Eleven chlorpyrifos-degrading bacterium were isolated from a Chinese soil and compared by microbiological and molecular methods. The strains were significantly different in the ability of degradation efficiency, and one strain (Bacillus cereus) was selected for further analysis. The ability of Bacillus cereus to degrade chlorpyrifos was investigated under different culture conditions, such as pH, temperature, chlorpyrifos concentration and so on. Experimental results obtained in different conditions show that the optimum temperature, pH, concentration of chlorpyrifos were 30 degrees C, 7.0, less than 100 mg L-1, respectively.