Effective Microorganisms (EM) as Bioremediation Agent of Profenofos Pesticide Residue in Vegetable Farm Soil from Benguet Province, Philippines

Abstract

Effective microorganisms (EM) have shown remarkable adaptability and have been used in agriculture and environmental management. This study intended to provide insights into the effectiveness of EM technology in rehabilitating soils contaminated with pesticides. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the efficiency of EM in breaking down the profenofos component of Selecron® 500 EC pesticide in a controlled condition. Results show that the initial profenofos (17.2 mg kg-1) degraded in the control and experimental groups by 94.19% and 96.45%, respectively, over a 21-day laboratory experiment. EM-treated soil samples showed a significant difference from untreated samples, as revealed in the Kruskal-Wallis (p=3.55e-12) and Freidman’s tests (p=0.20). These findings enhance our understanding of EM's capabilities in pesticide remediation as well as the natural dissipation of pesticides.

Keywords

• Pesticide degradation
• Pesticide dissipation
• Organophosphates
• Profenofos
• Soil rehabilitation