ABSTRACT
Our group has recently demonstrated the potential application of phosphotriesterase as a selective enzyme for degradation of organophosphate pesticides in polluted waters (Istamboulie et al. 2010a). A detoxifi cation system was prepared using a 10 mL Omnifi t column fi lled with 4 mL of Sepharose Gel 4B previously loaded with 500 IU of PTE. The column was connected via Tefl on® tubes to a HPLC pump, and the fl ow rate was set to either 0.5 mL min-1 or 1 mL min-1, equivalent to contact times of respectively 8 min and 4 min. Due to the high activity of PTE for CPO, the limiting factor lies in the ability of the column to effi ciently degrade CFV as well as mixtures of CPO and CFV. The developed biosensors were used for the control of OP compounds in water before and after treatment using the column. The whole detoxifi cation device coupling the PTE-based column and the biosensor allowing to monitor the column effl uents is presented in Fig. 4.3 (Istamboulie et al. 2010a).
