Imidacloprid is one of the frequently used insecticides. Indiscriminate use of imidacloprid makes it perilous to non-target organisms as well as the environment, including soil and water sources, thus, making its elimination from the environment an irresistible concern. Bioremediation is a technique that uses the degrading capabilities of bacteria to create an economical and reliable method of pesticide abatement. In an attempt to solve the problem arising due to imidacloprid contamination, bacterial strains possessing the ability to degrade imidacloprid were isolated from contaminated agricultural soil samples in the present study. Imidacloprid-degrading isolate, identified as Tepidibacillus decaturensis strain ST1, could effectively degrade imidacloprid in liquid media, slurry, and soil microcosms. The microcosm studies using the isolate resulted in the degradation of around 77.5% and 85% of imidacloprid (200 ppm) in sterile and unsterile soils within 45 days. In addition to biodegradation, sorption of insecticide by the plants and natural reduction of insecticide over time has also been reported. The degradation in soil follows first-order kinetics. Hydrazinecarboxamide and hydroxyurea were identified as metabolites on conducting GC-MS analysis of the degraded samples.
Keywords: Biodegradation; Imidacloprid; Indigenous bacteria; Microcosm; Self-degradation; Slurry.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.