Bioremediation of soils contaminated with nicosulfuron by the bacterial complex ES58

Nicosulfuron residues in soil can be harmful to the environment. In this study, Klebsiella oxytoca ES5 and Klebsiella grimontii ES8 were isolated to construct the ES58 bacterial complex. The culture medium was optimized using response surface methodology, nicosulfuron degradation by ES58 reached 97.21 % in 96 h. The optimal degradation conditions were: temperature: 25℃, pH 6, initial nicosulfuron concentration: 50 mg L−1 and inoculum volume: 2 %. The two individual strains and the bacterial complex were tested for the ability of nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, potassium decomposition and iron carrier production. The results revealed that both strains and the bacterial complex had the ability to promote the growth, with bacterial complex being more capable than the two individual bacterial strains. After 28 d of bioremediation of nicosulfuron-contaminated soil by ES58, degradation rate of nicosulfuron was 90.84 % in the unsterilized soil. Furthermore, the remediation process restored the activities of catalase, invertase, dehydrogenase and urease in the soil. The ES5-specific gene budA and ES8-specific gene ldh were detected in the soil at the 28th day. ES58 exhibited different effects on the growth indexes of nicosulfuron-sensitive crops. The study provides a novel strategy for nicosulfuron degradation effective by constructing and utilizing bacterial complex. [Display omitted] •Two strains of nicosulfuron efficient degrading bacteria were isolated and identified.•The degradation characteristics of the complex bacterium ES58 were investigated.•The growth-promoting ability of the composite bacterium ES58 was determined.•Bioremediation of nicosulfuron contaminated soil by the complex bacterium ES58 was studied.