<span><strong>Bioaugmentation with bacterial strains for enhanced degradation of acetochlor and bensulfuron-methyl in contaminated water and soil</strong></span>

Acetochlor and bensulfuron-methyl are the main ingredients of herbicides used worldwide. This study evaluated the contamination of these compounds in water and soil samples collected from a paddy field, and their dissipation in the field and under a laboratory condition. The results showed that the concentrations of acetochlor and bensulfuron-methyl in water were 683.5±71.5 µg/L and 131.6±14.4 µg/L, respectively, while the soil data were 343.3±34.2 µg/L and 98.4±9.2 µg/L. The average concentrations of acetochlor and bensulfuron-methyl were dissipated by about 92.4% and 89.6% in water, and 86.8% and 91.0% in soil in the field after 30 days, respectively. These compound dissipations at the field site were higher compared to those under a laboratory condition. Fortunately, the inoculation of acetochlor degrading bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens KT3 and Bacillus subtilis 2M6E) and a bensulfuron-methyl degrading bacterial strain (Methylopila sp. DKT) increased the degradation process under the laboratory condition. This study, therefore, provides valuable information on the contamination of acetochlor and bensulfuron-methyl in water and soil, the dissipation of these compounds at the site and the roles of isolated bacteria in enhancing the degradation.