ORGANOPHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS: TOXICOLOGY AND MICROBIAL DEGRADATION

Organophosphorus compounds (OP) are ester or thiol derivatives of phosphoric acid. Continuous and excessive use of organophosphorus compounds has led to the contamination of several ecosystems in different parts of the world (US EPA, 2000; McConnell et al., 1999; Cisar and Snyder, 2000; Tse et al., 2004). Pesticides have been an integral part of modern agriculture for a long time. Environmental pollution, ecological imbalances, pest resurgence, human and animal health hazards, destruction of biocontrol agents, development of resistance in pests etc. are results of indiscriminate and nonjudicious use of chemical pesticides in agriculture. In India, to date pesticide consumption ranges between 480-520 g/ha accounting for about 3% of the total pesticides used in the world; and that is increasing at the rate of 2 to 5% per annum (Kanekar et al., 2004). Unintended exposure to pesticides can occur during manufacturing, formulations and applications. United Nations Environment Protection (UNEP) reported that nine of the twelve most unwanted persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are pesticides used for agriculture crops and for public health vector control (Fisher, 1999). These pollutants travel thousands of miles, accumulate in the food chain, and persist in the environment for longer time and are indeed powerful threat to the human and wildlife health on global basis (Fisher, 1999).

In the present e-book the effors of the reserchers worlwide, for degradation of oganophopshorous compunds have been highlighted.