Soil dissipation of juvenile hormone analog insecticide pyriproxyfen and its effect on the bacterial community

Abstract

This investigation was undertaken to examine the dissipation rate of pyriproxyfen as well as the change in the soil bacterial community. Residues of pyriproxyfen were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the changes in bacterial community were determined by comparing the 16S rDNA bands on patterns by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The dissipation of pyriproxyfen was affected by both the concentration applied and incubation temperature. Lower concentrations (1 mg Kg⁻¹) and higher incubation temperatures (30 and 40°C) showed more rapid dissipation rates. The population of microbial community decreased rapidly after incubation with 10 mg Kg⁻¹ of pyriproxyfen for 91 days, indicating the toxicity of pyriproxyfen toward bacterial communities in a closed soil ecosystem. Lower concentrations of pyriproxyfen showed less toxicity toward the microbial community. From cluster analysis, the structure of the bacterial community showed roughly a 60 % similarity throughout the experiment period in the control experiment, indicating the stability within soil microbiota without chemical agitation. However, the similarity was lower than 50 % both in the one and 10 mg Kg⁻¹ of insecticide pyriproxyfen spiked experiment, indicating the soil bacterial community changed after the insecticide pyriproxyfen was applied.

Keywords:

• Juvenile hormone analog
• pyriproxyfen
• biodegradation
• polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis
• bacterial diversity

Acknowledgments

This investigation was supported by funds provided by the National Science Council, Republic of China, under grant No. NSC 94-2313-B-002-093.