Biodegradation of pesticides: A review

Biodegradation of pesticides: A review

Author Name : Irene F. Lalrintluangi, Vinai Kumar, Dipti Bisarya

ABSTRACT The pesticides and its fateis influenced by microbial activity in the ecosystem. Some microorganisms are easily degraded by pesticides, others have proved to be recalcitrant. In the increased food demand of the increasing global population, pesticides have been applied to agriculture. By now, the use of pesticides is a necessary evil, even though human and other living organisms are playing havoc with this activity. The traces of pesticides used remain in the atmosphere (soil, water, air) for various periods of time (Tariq etal.,2007). Microbial degradation not only depends on the existence, it also depends on a broad variety of environmental factors of microbes with necessary degrading enzymes. Most of these microbes exist in natural environment, although certain modification can be made to allow the species in a restricted time frame for pesticide degradation at faster pace.The potential of microbes is often utilized as a techniquefor eliminating pollutants from the actual site. Knowledge of the biochemistry, genetic constitution and physiology of the desired microbe will further improve the microbial activity to accurately achieve bioremediation, with little to no space for ambiguity and variability in the functionof microbe.Gene encoding for enzymes has been produced for different pesticides and provide advanced contribution for understanding the microbial ability for pesticide degradation to create a super strain within a short timeframe to achieve the desired bioremediation outcome.