Survival in Sterile Soil and Atrazine Degradation of Pseudomonas sp. Strain ADP Immobilized on Zeolite

In laboratory settings, the ability of bacteria and fungi to degrade many environmental contaminants is well proven. However, the potential of microbial inoculants in soil remediation has not often been realized because catabolically competent strains rarely survive and proliferate in soil, and even if they do, they usually fail to express their desired catabolic potential. One method to address the survival problem is formulating the microorganisms with physical and chemical support systems. This study investigates the survival of Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP in sterile soil and its retention of atrazine-degrading functionality. Assessment was conducted with free and zeolite-immobilized bacteria incorporated into the soil. Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP remained viable for at least 10 weeks when stored at 15°C in sterile soil. Cell numbers increased for both free and zeolite-immobilized bacteria during this period, except for free cells when grown in Miller's Luria-Bertani medium, which exhibited constant cell numbers over the 10 weeks. Only the zeolite-immobilized cell retained full functionality to degrade atrazine after 10 weeks in sterile soil regardless of the medium used to culture Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP. Functionality was diminished in free-cell inoculations except when using an improved culture medium. Survival of zeolite-immobilized Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP separated from the soil matrix after 10 weeks’ incubation was significantly (p < .05) greater than in soil inoculated with free cells or in the soil fraction inoculated by release from zeolite-immobilized Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP.