Bio-Remediation of Lambda Cyhalothrin, Malathion and Chlorpyrifos Using Anaerobic Digestion Bio-Slurry Microbes
Kinyua A, Mbugua JK*, Waswa AG, Mbui DN, Kithure J, Michira I and Wandiga SO
Published: April 23, 2022
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion of degradable material yields biogas used as fuel and bio-slurry widely employed as organic fertilizer as well as chicken and fish supplements. The bio-slurry is rich in microbes which makes it applicable in the bio-remediation of persistent pollutants in soil. In the current research work, the bacterial forming unit was determined using the standard plate method at microbiology laboratory, University of Nairobi after-which the microbes in biogas bio-slurry was applied in microbial fuel cells bio-remediation of lambda cyhalothrin, malathion and chlorpyrifos. The bio-slurry was doped with 10 mL 10 ppm pesticide solution and subjected to voltage generation via a H-shaped dual chamber microbial fuel cell for a 90 days’ retention period. Daily voltage and current were recorded using a multi-meter while pesticide levels were determined using GC-MS after QuEChERS method extraction. The microbial counts result showed a 3.15±0.01 * 1010 CFU/ml from the biogas bio-slurry sample. The observed maximum voltage in bio-slurry was 0.568 V in day 28 while the maximum generated voltage on doping the biogas bio-slurry with the chlorpyrifos, lambda cyhalothrin, malathion and the pesticides mix (CLM) were 0.551, 0.565, 0.538 and 0.533 V respectively. The bio-degradation levels achieved were 73.40% malathion, 87.70% chlorpyrifos while no lambda cyhalothrin was detected on the 90th day of incubation.