Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Biodegradation of imidacloprid in an open compost pile

Author(s):

Željko Herner ¹*, Renata Bažok ², Felicita Briški ³

Recieved Date: 2014-05-30, Accepted Date: 2014-09-14

Abstract:

The aim of the study was to determine in which way and at what speed a composting process affects the degradation of imidacloprid N-{1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridyl)methyl]-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-yl} nitramide, one of the most effective and most widely used insecticide in the world, but also at the same time one of the most accused insecticide for bee colony collapse disorder. The process of imidacloprid degradation through composting was monitored at four experimental open piles, with an additional fifth pile composed of random green parts of plants and soil and used as a simulation of natural and spontaneous degradation of organic matter in a field. Two of the compost piles were kept under aerobic conditions and forced aerated through perforated pipes with a ventilator, while two were kept under anoxic conditions (the compost was wrapped in impermeable foil). Pseudomonas aeruginosa FN culture was added in two composting piles, one under aerobic conditions and one under anoxic conditions. It has been established that the half-life of imidacloprid occurred after 29 days in the pile inoculated with bacterial cells P. aeruginosa FN under anoxic condition, which is considerably faster than in spontaneous degradation in the soil, which was simulated in the fifth pile (60 days). The physical and chemical properties of compost piles did not significantly affect the dynamics of degradation rate, which was faster in the mesophilic and thermophilic phase and slower in the maturation phase. The half-life of imidacloprid was shorter in piles with anoxic condition. The added culture, P. aeruginosa FN, has accelerated the imidacloprid degradation rate in both piles with anoxic and aerobic conditions, faster than in the piles without the P. aeruginosa FN culture. That is lesser influence than was expected, probably because of the abundance of microorganisms from animal manure, which created the competitive relations with P. aeruginosa FN cultures.

Keywords:

Imidacloprid, composting process, dynamics of degradation, half-life time, aerobic, anoxic, Pseudomonas aeruginosa FN

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2014
Volume: 12
Issue: 3&4
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 198-202

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