Novel fungal organophosphorus hydrolases in acidic media: an application to apples decontamination

SANTILLAN, JULIA YAMILA; ROJAS, NATALIA LORENA; LEWKOWICZ, ELIZABETH SANDRA; IRIBARREN, ADOLFO MARCELO

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Año: 2022 vol. 30 p. 10803 - 10811

0944-1344

Organophosphorus pesticides bring significant improvements in agriculture, but their toxicity causes environmental and health negative impacts. The aim of this work was the development of robust biocatalysts to be applied in bioremediation. Four fungi were evaluated as hydrolase sources capable of degrading organophosphorus pesticides: Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp., Penicillium chrysogenum, and Penicillium nalgiovense. The hydrolysis rates of methyl paraoxon obtained under acidic conditions were in the range of 10 to 21 mg L−1 d−1, which is remarkable since most similar biocatalysts are active under alkaline conditions. Penicillium chrysogenum activity was outstanding, and it was selected to prepare, characterize, and study the applications of its enzymatic extract. It was used to evaluate the bioremediation of apple surfaces at pH 2 in the presence of SDS, achieving complete methyl paraoxon degradation under proposed conditions. These results indicate that this biocatalyst could complement industrialized fruit washing processes for the elimination of organophosphorus pesticides.