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Review | Tropical Aquatic and Soil Pollution | Volume 5 - Issue 1 - 2025 | 34-52 | https://doi.org/10.53623/tasp.v5i1.625
© 2025 by the author(s), and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License

The Role of Microorganisms in the Degradation of Pesticides: A Sustainable Approach to Soil Remediation

Author(s): Diya Merlin Varghese 1 , Rubiyatno 2 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6877-5150 , Michael Lie 3 , Risky Ayu Kristanti 4 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2096-3923 , Annisa Andarini Ruti 5 , 6 , ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8760-7299 , Gina Nadifah 5 , 6 , ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5470-4807 , Ferdaus Mohd Altaf Hossain 7 , 8 , ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4000-616X , Md Abu Hanifa Jannat 9 ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3729-9117 , Chayanee Chairattanawat 9 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3587-7027 , Lucky Caesar Direstiyani 10 ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6722-5050
Author(s) information:
1 Environmenal Engineering Program, Curtin University Malaysia, CDT250, Miri 98009, Malaysia
2 Graduate Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8511, Japan
3 Envirotech Engineering, Kuala Lumpur, 59200 Malaysia
4 Research Center for Oceanography, National Research and Innovation Agency, Pasir Putih I, Jakarta, 14430, Indonesia
5 Interdisciplinary Centre for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu 400-8511, Yamanashi, Japan
6 Integrated Graduate School of Medicine, Engineering, and Agricultural Sciences, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11 Takeda, Kofu 400-8511, Yamanashi, Japan
7 Department of Dairy Science, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh
8 Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh
9 Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-ro, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
10 Division of Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

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Tropical Aquatic and Soil Pollution

Volume 5 - Issue 1 - 2025

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The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture, aquaculture, and public health has led to severe environmental and public health concerns due to their overapplication and persistence in ecosystems. Pesticide residues accumulate in soil, degrade its fertility, pollute groundwater, and harm non-target organisms, including beneficial insects and aquatic life. This persistent contamination poses a significant threat to biodiversity, food safety, and ecosystem resilience. The aim of this review is to examine microbial bioremediation as a sustainable and effective strategy for remediating pesticide-contaminated soils. The paper evaluates the mechanisms by which microorganisms degrade or transform hazardous pesticide compounds into less toxic or non-toxic forms and assesses the advantages and limitations of bioremediation technologies. Notably, bioremediation is recognized for its environmental compatibility, cost-effectiveness, and potential to restore soil health without undermining agricultural productivity. Recent studies highlight promising microbial strains capable of degrading diverse classes of pesticides under varying environmental conditions. However, challenges remain, including the scalability of microbial technologies, the complexity of mixed-contaminant sites, and the influence of abiotic factors on microbial efficacy. Future research should focus on optimizing microbial consortia, integrating genetic and metabolic engineering approaches, and developing field-scale applications tailored to specific agroecosystems. Advancing these areas will be critical for establishing bioremediation as a central pillar in sustainable pesticide management and environmental restoration strategies.

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SUBMITTED: 07 March 2025
ACCEPTED: 07 May 2025
PUBLISHED: 9 May 2025
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 61 days
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53623/tasp.v5i1.625

Cite this article
Varghese, D. M. ., Rubiyatno, Lie, M., Kristanti, R. A. ., Ruti, A. A. ., Nadifah, G. ., Hossain, F. M. A. ., Jannat, M. A. H. ., Chairattanawat, C. ., & Direstiyani, L. C. . (2025). The Role of Microorganisms in the Degradation of Pesticides: A Sustainable Approach to Soil Remediation. Tropical Aquatic and Soil Pollution, 5(1), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.53623/tasp.v5i1.625
Keywords
Pesticides bioremediation impacts challenges
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