A Flavobacterium sp. that degrades diazinon and parathion

Abstract

A Flavobacterium sp., isolated from paddy water by enrichment culture technique, decomposed diazinon in a mineral medium as sole carbon source. The bacterium readily hydrolyzed diazinon to 2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4-hydroxy-pyrimidine which was then converted to carbon dioxide. The bacterium also converted parathion to p-nitrophenol. The enzyme involved in the hydrolysis was constitutive.