EnzymesIn Vitro as indicators for pesticides: An examination

Pesticides—a serious problem especially for drinking water quality—frequently are potent inhibitors of enzymes in their target organisms. As the established chemical analyses of pesticides are time-consuming, complicated, and expensive, so-called screening methods are urgently needed. For this purpose the sensitivity of 13 different enzymes was tested in vitro by inhibiting their kinetic rates and/or substrate conversions by 16 pesticides (herbicides and fungicides). Because of the stabilization and resulting low sensitivity of enzymes commercially available—especially in test kits—it was necessary to vary the test conditions and to develop special methods for detecting enzymatic inhibition…