Effects of p-nitrophenol and organophosphorous nitroaromatic insecticides on the respiratory activity of free and immobilized cells of strains S-11 and BA-11 of Pseudomonas putida

The possibility of using the respiratory activity (RA) of microbial cells (of strains S-11 and BA-11 of Pseudomonas putida) as an instrument for quantitative determination of organophosphorous nitroaromatic insecticides, metaphors and sumithion, and their hydrolysis product, p-nitrophenol (PNP), has been explored. The dependences of RA on the concentrations of the three compounds were linear within the range 0.5-2.5 microM. The cells of the strain BA-11 exhibited maximum selectivity in the determination of the compounds. The RA of microbial cells differing in the modes of immobilization (adsorption to carrier surfaces vs. incorporation into gels) have been compared. Prospects of development of the microbial cell-based sensor system for determining metaphors, sumithion, and PNP in aqueous media are discussed.