Enzyme product removes pesticides from water

Our scientists have developed a powerful new technology that removes pesticide and herbicide residues from soil, water and crops.

• 1 August 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Bioremediation using enzymes
• Commercial bioremediation product
• Partners

There is increasing pressure from international markets to ensure agricultural products have been produced with minimal chemical contamination of the produce and the environment. 

Farmers need to use chemicals such as pesticides to improve yields and quality and these sometimes leave unwanted residues in soil and water, and on crops.

Bioremediation using enzymes

CSIRO has developed an enzyme-based product that can rapidly degrade pesticide residues in soil and water.

This bioremediation solution reduced organophosphate levels in cotton irrigation wastewater by 90 per cent within 10 minutes and in used sheep dip by 99 per cent within 30 minutes.

The product, Languard was developed jointly by CSIRO Entomology and Orica Watercare. 

Our scientists:

• searched for naturally occurring soil bacteria that feed on chemicals and reduce them to non-toxic compounds. 
• extracted enzymes that attack the chemicals
• used advance molecular biology techniques to enhance their effectiveness.

Orica Watercare's staff:

• conducted field trials to test performance
• developed the enzymes to commercial scale.

Commercial bioremediation product

Farmers can now use this bioremediation product, Landguard, to remove organophosphates from wastewater contaminated with sheep dip or other pesticides.  

Commercial information about this product can be found on Orica’s Landguard website.

Other similar products in the research pipeline include enzymes to degrade:

• carbaryl
• synthetic  pyrethroids
• herbicides.

Partners

This work received financial support from:

• Horticulture Australia Ltd
• Cotton Research and Development Corporation
• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
• Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)
• CRC for Sustainable Rice Production
• CRC for Sugar Industry Innovation through Biotechnology
• Orica Australia Ltd.

Learn more about CSIRO's work in the Environment.