Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) mediated degradation of organophosphate pesticides by the green microalgae Coccomyxa subellipsoidea

The aim of this study was to define the mechanism allowing the green alga Coccomyxa subellipsoidea to break down organophosphates from agricultural run-off. This study found that metabolically active cultures of the microalga C. subellipsoidea breakdown organophosphates (paraoxon, malathion and diazinon) with differing structural conformations in freshwater through a mechanism that requires the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with little to no toxic effects on the algae. Under these conditions, organophosphate levels were reduced to 0.1 mg/mL or less over the 8–10 day experimental period. These findings demonstrate a biological-based system can be tailored for the remediation of organophosphates from agricultural run-off in waterways for long-term sustainability that also includes bioproduct development from the algal biomass. These finding are expected to have significant impacts using this biological based technology for the remediation of organophosphates in water for downstream applications.