Microbial Flora and Biodegradation of Pesticides: Trends, Scope, and Relevance

Pesticides, although proving as a fast remedy in pest control, are polluting the environment in a number of ways acting as havoc to mankind and environment. The presence of pesticides above tolerance level has raised concerns about their removal from soil and environment through novel ways like microbial bioremediation. The present book chapter highlights about the microorganisms and their degradation pathways used in removal of a number of pesticides like carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, endosulfan, and sulfosulfuron. There are a number of living and nonliving factors such as pH, temperature of soil, and availability of degrading microbes. Research has been done on isolation of pesticide-degrading microbes, which could act as an efficient and novel bioremediation agents in the future like Brevibacillus borstelensis and Streptomyces albogriseolus that have the ability to remove carbendazim and sulfosulfuron.