Biodegradation of lindane by indigenous bacterial isolates obtained from contaminated field soil of Uttarakhand

Bacterial isolates used in the present study were obtained from pesticide contaminated soil of an agricultural field of Ramnagar (Uttarakhand). Maximum lindane degradation was observed in two isolates viz., GBPSG1 and GBPSG2 under aerobic conditions and their tolerance level for lindane was found to be 70 μg mL⁻¹ and 90 μg mL⁻¹, respectively, in minimal broth. In vitro lindane degradation studies in soil samples revealed, lindane reduction upto a concentration of 31.25 μg g⁻¹ soil from 250 μg g⁻¹ soil within 30 days by the GBPSG2 isolate. Bacterial consortium degraded 72% of lindane in an in situ degradation study in maize rhizosphere within 30 days.