Endosulfan is a Persistent Organic Pollutant insecticide still used in many countries. It is commercially
available as mixtures of two diastereomers, - and -endosulfan, known as technical grade endosulfan
(TGE). A laboratory model based on the use of axenic plant cell cultures to study the removal and
metabolization of both isomers from contaminated water matrixes was established. No differences were
recorded in the removal of the two individual isomers with the two tested endemic plants, Grindelia
pulchella and Tessaria absinthioides. Undifferentiated cultures of both plant species were very efficient
to lower endosulfan concentration in spiked solutions. Metabolic fate of TGE was evaluated by analyzing
the time course of endosulfan metabolites accumulation in both plant biomass and bioremediation
media. While in G. pulchella we only detected endosulfan sulfate, in T. absinthioides the non-toxic endosulfan
alcohol was the main metabolite at 48 h, giving the possibility of designing phytoremediation
approaches.