Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides/Herbicides in Soil

Irrational and hasty worldwide human societal development has ended up in a condition of ecological disintegration. Extreme utilization of pesticides has been known to be dangerous to the earth, have an effect on soil fertility, also may impart toxicity in body. The term “bioremediation” has been understood to describe the process of using biological agents to remove toxic wastes from the habitat. Microbial bioremediation has been the most understood biotechnological process of ecological reclamation. Under favorable conditions, microbes utilize pesticides as a source of carbon, sulfur, as well as electrons. The toxic effects of chlorine-containing pesticides, polychlorinated diphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and organic phosphorous compounds have been shown to be wiped out by microbes, including bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi. This chapter intends to review pesticides, their types, versatility, ecological concerns associated to them, and the recent literature concerning descriptive information of various microorganisms involved in bioremediation.