Progress in bioremediation of pesticide residues in the environment

The increasing use of various pesticides (e.g., organophosphate, organochlorine, carbamates, and pyrethroid) has helped to improve agricultural productivity by minimizing the potential crop losses associated with insect attacks. Owing to their highly recalcitrant nature, most pesticides and their residues often accumulate in the environment to exert deleterious effects on human health and various ecosystems. Among a variety of remediation options, biological approaches have attracted a widespread attention for the treatment of pesticide in soil/water systems due to their environmentally benign nature. In this regard, this review article was organized to highlight the recent advancements in the application of various bioremediation approaches for the degradation/removal of pesticides from soil/water matrixes along with the catabolic capacity of microorganisms. Our discussions were expanded further to emphasize identification of specific bacterial communities/strains, such as Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. This review is expected to provide an overview of the modern biotechnological methodologies along with the associated merits and hurdles for the effective abatement of pesticides.