Pesticide contamination has become a major environmental concern with organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos emerging as major pollutants posing significant risks to both ecosystems and human health. Chlorpyrifos is widely used in agriculture to control pests, however due to its persistence, its accumulation in soils can lead to long-term environmental damage. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize chlorpyrifos-degrading bacteria from a tobacco field exposed to intensive pesticide use in T & uuml;rkiye. To achieve this, a selective enrichment strategy was employed to promote the growth of chlorpyrifos-degrading microorganisms. Two distinct experimental setups were established to target both normally growing and slower-growing bacteria: the first involved a 4-week incubation with weekly subculturing as described in the literature, while the second applied an 8-week incubation with biweekly subculturing. At the end of the enrichment period, bacterial loads were compared between the two groups. Four of the nine bacterial isolates were obtained from the newly tested long-term setup. Among all isolates, members of the genus Pseudomonas exhibited the best adaptation to the prolonged enrichment conditions. Additionally, isolates belonging to the genera Klebsiella, Sphingobacterium, and Peribacillus were isolated from the normally growing group. Two isolates (AB4 & AB15), identified as Sphingobacterium thalpophilum, were determined to be novel chlorpyrifos degraders. This is the first reported study from T & uuml;rkiye focusing on the biodegradation of chlorpyrifos by native soil bacteria. The findings revealed that various ecological areas, constitute potential sources for new microbial metabolic processes and these bacterial strains can be used in bioremediation studies.

Organophosphate pesticides, widely used in agriculture, are effective in pest control but pose environmental and health risks through soil, water, and air contamination. Exposure to these chemicals is linked to adverse human health effects, underscoring the need for environmentally sustainable practices. This study aimed to assess urinary organophosphate metabolites and examine the relationship between GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms with biomarkers of oxidative stress among farmers in Himachal Pradesh exposed to pesticides. We collected urine samples (50 mL) from the exposed group to detect organophosphate metabolites using GC-MS. Blood samples (5 mL) were also obtained for GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotyping and assessment of antioxidant enzyme activities. The results showed decreased enzymatic activity of SOD (2.92 +/- 1.07) and catalase (12.60 +/- 3.15) in the exposed group, with increased MDA levels (4.14 +/- 1.36), compared with the unexposed group (SOD: 7.04 +/- 1.34, catalase: 25.75 +/- 2.20, MDA: 1.15 +/- 0.18). No significant associations (p > .05) were found between GSTM1 or GSTT1 genotypes and SOD, catalase, or MDA activities. The study concluded that prolonged pesticide exposure induces oxidative stress linked to specific genetic variations, suggesting directions for further research into the toxicogenetics of pesticide exposure and its health implications.

This study investigated the uptake pathways, acropetal translocation, subcellular distribution, and biotransformation of OPEs by rice (Oryza sativa L.) after Cu exposure. The symplastic pathway was noted as the major pathway for the uptake of organophosphate triesters (tri-OPEs) and diesters (di-OPEs) by rice roots. Cu exposure enhanced the accumulation of tri-OPEs in rice roots, and such enhancement was positively correlated with Cu concentrations, attributing to the Cu-induced root damage. The hydrophilic Cl-OPEs in the cell-soluble fraction of rice tissues were enhanced after Cu exposure, while the subcellular distributions of alkyl- and aryl-OPEs were not affected by Cu exposure. Significantly higher biotransformation rates of tri-OPEs to di-OPEs occurred in leaves, followed by those in stems and roots. Our study reveals the mechanisms associated with the uptake, translocation, and biotransformation of various OPEs in rice after Cu exposure, which provides new insights regarding the phytoremediation of soils cocontaminated with heavy metal and OPEs.