ABSTRACT
The use of synthetic organic chemicals in agricultural practices increased dramatically in the years immediately following World War II. This chapter reviews the scientific literature pertaining to the metabolism of various pesticides by cell-free enzyme extracts in order to show the potential that microbial enzyme systems have in regard to the detoxification and disposal of pesticides in industrial situations. It argues that microbial enzymes can be isolated and be effective in converting toxic or persistent pesticides into less toxic or less persistent molecules. Pesticides belonging to the organophosphates have recently been extensively used as replacement chemicals for the more persistent organochlorine and mercurial compounds. In general, the initial point of organophosphate metabolism is the hydrolysis of the arylphosphoester bond. A crude enzyme extract obtained from a mixed bacterial culture that was grown on parathion showed exceptionally high activity for hydrolysis of at least ten other organophosphates.
