Effect of cellulose and glucose on the proliferation of PCP (pentachlorophenol)-degrading microorganisms in soil suspension

Abstract The pesticide pentachlorophenol (PCP) of which application to rice fields was prohibited in Japan after the 1970s is still used as a fungicide for upland crops or timber. In many cases the pesticide dropped into soil is microbially degraded, and microbial degradation of PCP in soil was studied by many authors (Watanabe and Hayashi 1972; Kuwatsuka and Igarashi 1975; Watanabe 1977). The PCP-degrading microorganisms so far isolated are common ones which are not nutritionally fastidious (Watanabe 1973; Suzuki 1983a, b). It is, therefore, plausible that PCP-degradability of the microorganisms is influenced by the presence of some nutrients because, in general, the microorganisms may preferentially use nutrients to pesticides which are biostatic or biocidal to the microorganisms.