From Toxins to Safety: Alternaria alstromeriae’s High-Efficiency Malathion Biodegradation Unveiled

This study investigated the biodegradation of the pesticide malathion by soil fungi, focusing on Alternaria alstromeriae KRMY EMIC001 (GenBank: PQ764546).The fungus demonstrated high degradation efficiency, achieving 89.5% degradation at 30ppm malathion under optimized conditions (25C, pH 6, 21 days).Efficiency remained robust (86.5%) even at higher concentrations (150ppm).The study also examined the impact of different nitrogen and carbon sources on the degradation process.Additionally, the level of phosphatase enzyme in Alternaria alstromeriae KRMY EMIC001 was measured in the presence of malathion, showing a gradual decrease as malathion concentrations declined, highlighting the enzyme's role in the biodegradation process.