title: Mineralization of carbofuran by a soil bacterium.
abstract: A bacterium, tentatively identified as an Arthrobacter sp., was isolated from flooded soil that was incubated at 35 degrees C and repeatedly treated with carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl N-methylcarbamate). This bacterium exhibited an exceptional capacity to completely mineralize the ring-labeled C in carbofuran to CO(2) within 72 to 120 h in a mineral salts medium as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen under aerobic conditions. Mineralization was more rapid at 35 degrees C than at 20 degrees C. No degradation of carbofuran occurred even after prolonged incubation under anaerobic conditions. The predicted metabolites of carbofuran, 7-phenol (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranol) and 3-hydroxycarbofuran, were also metabolized rapidly. 7-Phenol, although formed during carbofuran degradation, never accumulated in large amounts, evidently because of its further metabolism through ring cleavage. The bacterium readily hydrolyzed carbaryl (1-naphthyl N-methylcarbamate), but its hydrolysis product, 1-naphthol, resisted further degradation by this bacterium.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Division of Soil Science and Microbiology, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack-753006, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ramanand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharmila
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sethunathan