Biodegradation and detoxification of neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam by white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The extensive use of neonicotinoid pesticides in the past two decades caused serious impacts on many kinds of living beings. Therefore, it has been strongly suggested to detoxify and eliminate neonicotinoids’ residual levels in environment. Here, the degradation and detoxification of thiamethoxam (THX) by white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was conducted. Results shown that P. chrysosporium can tolerate THX and degraded 49% of THX after incubation for 15 days, and then 98% for 25 days at the initial concentration of 10 mg/L, which indicates the excellent degradation ability of this fungus to THX. Based on the by-products identified, THX underwent dechlorination, nitrate reduction, and C–N cleavage between the 2-chlorothiazole ring and oxadiazine. (Z)-N-(3-methyl-1,3,5-oxadiazinan-4-ylidene)nitramide and 3-methyl-1,3,5-oxadiazinan-4-imine were identified as the main metabolites. The impacts of THX and its corresponding degradation intermediates on the growth of E. coil and Microcystis aeruginosa as well as the germination of rape and cabbage demonstrated that P. chrysosporium effectively degrades THX into metabolites and reduces its biotoxicity. The present work demonstrates that P. chrysosporium can be effectively used for degradation and detoxification of THX.