Growth, photosynthesis and removal responses of the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. to malathion and malaoxon

Abstract

Malathion is an organophosphorus pesticide widely used in agricultural crops, despite its toxicity. In addition, malaoxon occurs by oxidation of malathion being more toxic. The toxic effects of malathion and malaoxon in humans include hepatoxicity, breast cancer, genetic damage and endocrine disruption. The aim of this study involved assessing the effect of malathion commercial grade on Chroococcus sp., and its potential as an alternative to the removal of this pesticide and its transformation product such as malaoxon. We evaluated the effect of malathion at different concentrations (1, 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm) on the biomass of the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. grown in medium BG-11; also, we analyse its ability to degrade both malathion and malaoxon into a temperature of 28 ± 2 °C and at pH 6. The results showed that 50 ppm of malathion the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. reached the highest removal efficiency of malathion and malaoxon (69 and 65%, respectively); also, the growth rate of Chroococcus sp. increased without inhibiting the production of chlorophyll “a”, this can be explained by the hormesis phenomenon. Therefore, we consider that the cyanobacteria Chroococcus sp. may be a good candidate for bioremediation of aquatic systems contaminated with organophosphorus pesticides such as malathion and its transformation product such as malaoxon.

Keywords:

• Biodegradation
• biomass
• bioremediation
• cyanobacteria
• organophosphorus
• toxicity

Acknowledgments

Karina Martínez-Aguilar thanks to the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) for the scholarship No. 212545, Nayeli Benítez Fernández, and to Enoe Erendira Rocha Miller for their valuable support during analysis of samples.