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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1970 February; 19(2): 214-219
Copyright © 1970 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Pesticides on Nitrite Oxidation by Nitrobacter agilis¹

Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48823

ABSTRACT

The influence of pesticides on the growth of Nitrobacter agilis in aerated cultures and on the respiration of N. agilis cell suspensions and cell-free extracts was studied. Two pesticides, aldrin and simazine, were not inhibitory to growth of Nitrobacter, but five compounds [isopropyl N-(3-chlorophenyl) carbamate (CIPC), chlordane, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDD), heptachlor, and lindane] prevented growth when added to the medium at a concentration of 10 µg/ml. Whereas CIPC and eptam prevented nitrite oxidation by cell suspensions, the addition of DDD and lindane resulted in only partial inhibition of the oxidation. Heptachlor and chlordane also caused only partial inhibition of oxidation, but were more toxic with cell-free extract nitrite oxidase. None of the pesticides inhibited the nitrate reductase activity of cell-free extracts, but most caused some repression of cytochrome c oxidase activity. Heptachlor was the most deleterious compound.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article no. 4700.