The Utilization of Dichlorvos Pesticides by Fungi Isolated from Soil

The aim of this study was to isolate and evaluate fungi with the potentials to degrade dichlorvos pesticides in soil. The fungi Fusarium sp. was isolated and identified from pesticide polluted soil spiked with dichlorvos pesticide. Thereafter 50mL in 1kg of soil, autoclaved, the initial concentration of dichlorvos (0.92ppm), total organic carbon (TOC) (1.56%), pH (6), and, moisture content (10gm) of the pesticide treated soil were determined, the fungi was was inoculated into dichlorvos spiked soil. The following parameters were measured with plate counts (spore forming unit per gram) enumerated every 7 day interval; dichlorvos (0.69ppm 7th day, 0.46ppm 14th day and 0.2ppm 21st), moisture content (8.6gm 7th day, 7.9gm 14th day and 7.1gm21st day), ph (6 7th day, 5.8 14th day and 5.3 21st day), TOC (1.45% 7th day, 1.37% 14th day and 1.11% 21st day), and the plate count (2.5 × 104 sfu/g 7th day, 3.1 × 104 sfu/g 14th day and 3.9 × 104 sfu/g 21st day). Trichoderma sp. as revealed in this study degraded the herbicide metalochlor efficiciently at 66.96%. Therefore, Trichoderma sp. is a good microorganism for the eco-friendly mycoremediation of metalochlor polluted soil. Mycoremediation of the toxic pesticide dichlorvos in the soil by Fusarium sp. is a feasible and eco-friendly method to remediate pesticide polluted soil as obtained from the results of this study.