Isolation of phosphatase-producing fungi for the degradation of organophosphorus compounds in water contaminated by pesticides in avocado cultivation

Abstract

Background: Water pollution has regained critical relevance in recent years due to increasing human, industrial, and agricultural activities, which have significantly increased environmental pollution rates. In particular, agriculture is one of the sectors that most negatively impacts water bodies, mainly due to the excessive use of pesticides. These chemical compounds, especially organophosphates such as malathion, are widely used on avocado crops and represent a severe risk to the ecosystem's health. Objective: This study aimed to isolate microorganisms capable of producing enzymes to degrade organophosphorus contaminants. Methodology: Different concentrations of malathion were used to isolate microorganisms capable of growing in the presence of organophosphorus compounds. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to evaluate their degradation capacity by determining the phosphatase activity produced by the enzymes from the isolated microorganisms. Result: Seven fungal strains that could proliferate in organophosphate-contaminated media were isolated. The observed phosphatase activities ranged from 99.2 U/L to 1160.5 U/L, suggesting a wide range of potential for degradation of these compounds. Microculture techniques identified the strains, revealing that most shared morphological characteristics with species of the genus Aspergillus. Conclusions: This finding highlights the potential of these phosphatase-producing fungi as bioremediation agents, offering an ecological solution for the degradation of organophosphorus compounds in contaminated water bodies.