Chlorpyrifos pollution: its effect on brain acetylcholinesterase activity in rat and treatment of polluted soil by indigenous Pseudomonas sp.

The study was aimed to evaluate the levels of chlorpyrifos (CPF) pollution in agricultural soil of Punjab, India, its detrimental effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in rat brain and bioremediation of soils polluted with CPF using indigenous and adapted bacterial lab isolate. The analysis revealed that soil samples of Bathinda and Amritsar regions are highly contaminated with chlorpyrifos showing 19 to 175 mg/kg concentrations of CPF. The non-targeted animals may get poisoned with CPF by its indirect dermal absorption, inhalation of toxic fumes and regular consumption of soiled food grains. The study indicated that even the lowermost concentrations of CPF, 19 and 76 mg/kg of soil found in the Amritsar and Bathinda regions respectively can significantly inhibit the AChE activity in rat brain within 24 h of its treatment. This represents the antagonistic effect of CPF on AChE which is a prime neurotransmitter present in all living beings including humans. In light of this, an attempt was made to remediate the polluted soil, a major reservoir of CPF, using Pseudomonas sp. (ChlD), an indigenous bacterial isolate. The culture efficiently degraded 10 to 100 mg/kg chlorpyrifos supplemented in the soil and utilized it as sole source of carbon and energy for its growth. Thus, this study provides a detailed insight regarding the level of CPF pollution in Punjab, its detrimental effects on mammals and bio-based solution to remediate the sites polluted with CPF.