Abstract

Pesticide fate in the environment is affected by microbial activity. Some pesticides are readily degraded by microorganisms, others have proven to be recalcitrant. A diverse group of bacteria, including members of the genera Alcaligenes, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus, metabolize pesticides. Microbial degradation depends not only on the presence of microbes with the appropriate degradative enzymes, but also on a wide range of environmental parameters. This review describes recent advances in biodegradation of pesticides by addressing the biology and molecular characterization of some pesticide degrading bacteria.