Alaa Hassan Al-Farttoosy

University of Basrah, Iraq

Title: Microbial-based Bioremediation of an Exemplar Organophosphorus Chemical Warfare Agent

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Biography

I have gotten B.Sc. In Agricultural Sciences- Plant Protection in 1999, my position was the fourth of Alumni of those years 1999 (the first quarter). Then I headed to complete the M.Sc. In the same department. Part of my project was done in the State Company of Petrochemical Industries in South of Basrah, while the second part was at the University of Basrah. In 2002, the first of October, I have got titled to an Assistant Agricultural Engineer. During this year, I was a postgraduate M.Sc. Student. In 2003, I have become an assist lecturer in the same department. Then I become gradually a Lecturer in 2006. After four years, I have got proportioned to an Assistant Professor of Pesticides. My early career as an academic at the University of Basrah in Iraq (2002-now) enabled me to develop a deep knowledge in pesticides and determination their residues using gas chromatography and the Mass- Spectrophotometry by undertaking both research and teaching activities. In 2015, I have gotten a scholarship to complete the PhD in the UK, Faculty of Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department. I was dedicated to my research work to study the microbial-based Bioremediation of Organophosphorus chemical warfare agent simulant Sarin. On 07-01-2020, I have finished my PhD viva to get the PhD certificate in the majority is In-situ bioremediation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) from water and soil.  

Abstract

Organophosphorus compounds are used as chemical warfare agents and pesticides, and can reside in the environment for a relatively long time, presenting health hazards. Hydrolysis rates of an exemplar OP compound, DEMP, were characterised in aqueous solutions in Chapter 3 and found to be stable under acidic conditions pH 6.0 at 25°C and neutral conditions pH 7.0 at 30°C. Rates could be increased by raising the temperature from 0.01 day-1 at 25°C to 0.13 day-1 at 35°C at pH 6.0, and at pH 7.0, the rates increased from 0.03 day-1 at 25°C to 0.24 day-1 at 35°C. Chapter 4 details how a bacterial consortium was successfully enriched from soil regularly exposed to organophosphorus pesticides. Initial DEMP degradation rates were improved from 0.010 h-1 to 0.024 h-1 following 12-months of adaptive evolution. From this consortium, three bacterial strains were isolated and identified via 16S rDNA barcoding as Bacillus cereus, Micrococcus luteus, and Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis. Their growth and individual capability to degrade DEMP was evaluated, as well as in synthetic combinations, compared to control E. coli cultures and the enriched consortium. The growth rate of M. luteus was fastest at 1.52 day-1 with a DEMP removal rate of 0.75 mg L-1 day-1. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the strains’ isolates used DEMP during their growth. The strains B. cereus and M. luteus were also able to break down alterative organophosphorus compounds, namely triethyl phosphine-oxide, and tributyl phosphate. The enzymatic degradation by B. cereus was increased to 0.13 and 0.14 day-1 for TEPO and TBP respectively. Furthermore, it has increased by using M. luteus in 0.12 of TEPO and 0.15 day-1 of TBP. In contrast, the hydrolysis rates for TEPO 0.01 day-1 and TBP 0.02 day-1 after 21 days indicate that the hydrolysis of TEPO and TBP were low and slow.