Pollution status and biodegradation of organophosphate pesticides in the environment

Abstract To sustain the quantity and quantity to fulfill the increased food demand of the rapidly growing population, agricultural industry plays an important role in the survival of nations. The agricultural industry has undertaken numerous scientific innovations to make it highly efficient and sustainable. However, if such improvements have resulted in enhanced yields, they have concurrently also triggered the degradation of the environment. One such problem is posed by organophosphate pesticides that are being extensively utilized in agricultural practices and other activities because of their greater efficiency and lesser environmental persistence. But utilization of these pesticides poses a threat to the environment because of their toxic nature and persistence in the food chain. Residues of these pesticides usually get build up in the upper surface of the soil and ultimately find their way into the food products. Once consumed by the humans and other living organisms, these pesticides affect not only them but also the population of various groups of soil microbes and their biochemical activities in the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and plants have demonstrated the capability to degrade these pesticides from the environment. Hence, bioremediation has been considered as an attractive, potentially appropriate, efficient, cost-effective, and an eco-friendly method for decontamination of pesticide-contaminated sites. Therefore, in this chapter, an attempt has been made to provide an overview of various types of pesticides, followed by analyzing the impacts of organophosphates, their toxicological mechanism, pollution status, and biodegradation in the environment.