Analysis of the α-CYPERMETHRIN biodegradation by Klebsiella pneumoniae YH43

Cypermethrin (CYP) is an insecticide pyrethroid used in the agriculture for its broad-spectrum activity. However, recent studies have shown the accumulation of CYP in soil, and water and a high toxicity against different species, including humans. On the other hand, the use of bacteria in bioremediation represents an eco-friendly alternative for the removal of different xenobiotics. In this study, the aim was to isolate and identify bacteria from agricultural soils to determine their ability to tolerate and biodegrade CYP. Additionally, some metabolites of the CYP biodegradation were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Klebsiella pneumoniae YH43 isolate used CYP as a carbon source, degrading 87.55 % at a concentration of 100 mg/L. α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl alcohol and cis,trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane carboxylate were identified as the main metabolites in the pathway of the CYP biodegradation. These results suggest that K. pneumoniae YH43 has the potential to be used in the bioremediation of contaminated soils with CYP.