Degradation Of Pesticides

About

Various organophosphates are used as pesticides and herbicides. Roughly 33 million pounds of organophosphate pesticides were used in 2007. While not as persistent as organochlorides, small amounts of organophosphates have the potential to detrimentally impact the human nervous system. While PTE is known to facilitate the hydrolysis of organophosphates, the speed and quantity required have made it impractical for organophosphate remediation efforts to date. NYU Engineered PTE-enzymes NYU faculty have developed computational techniques for the design of PTE-derived enzymes for the hydrolysis of specific organophosphates. When combined with laboratory validation, this technique has yielded engineered highly stable enzymes that hydrolyse the target organophosphate than PTE alone. The NYU research team is collaborating with the FDA to identify the most relevant organophosphates to target. Among the pesticides currently being targeted are chlorpyrifos, acephate, malathion, ethion, and profenofos. In addition, the team has developed stabilized formulations for the PTE-derived enzymes that will allow for practical application. For agriculture and food safety applications, a spray or powder is currently envisioned as the preferred embodiment.