Microbe-Assisted Bioremediation of Pesticides from Contaminated Habitats 111

Table 7.1. An overview of commonly used pesticides.

Types of

pesticides

Chemical classification and

mechanism of action

Names of common pesticides

References

Insecticides

Organochlorines,

organophosphorus, pyrethroids,

carbamates, neonicotinoids

• Acts upon insects’ nervous

system

Acephate, aldrin, azinphos-methyl,

bromophos, carbaryl, carbofuran,

carbosulfan, chlorpyrifos, chlordane

coumaphos, DDT, deltamethrin,

diazinon, dimethoate.

Singh and Walker

2006, Huang et al.

2008, Nicolopoulou-

Stamati et al. 2016,

Mali et al. 2022

Herbicides

Triazines, urea

• Inhibits photosynthesis

Acetanilides, asulam, baraban, bentazon,

butylate, chlorbromuron, chloropropham,

chlorbrupham, cycloate, diallate, diuron,

EPTC, glyphosate, karbutilate, linuron

Castelo-Grande et al.

2010, Alamgir Zaman

Chowdhury et al.

2013, Bhandari, 2017,

Huang et al. 2018

Fungicides

Organochlorines, organomercurials

• Respiration and sterol

biosynthesis inhibitors

Azadirachtin, copper sulfate, ferbam,

mancozeb, maneb, pentachlorophenol,

thiram

Zhang et al. 2011,

Bhandari, 2017

Algicides

Dicarboxylic acid, copper sulfate,

copper chelates

• Targets specific physiological

process

Bacillamide, copper sulfate,

copper chelates, endothal, phorate

nostocarboline

Castelo-Grande et al.

2010

Bactericides

Concentrated alcohol, ether,

aldehydes, phenolic compounds

• Inhibit bacterial protein

synthesis pathway

Broponol, blue copper, chlorothalonil,

copper hydrochloride, copper

oxychloride, dithane, dithiocarbamates,

formaldehyde, mancozeb, metalaxyl,

methyl phosphorus, polytrin, ridomil,

triazoles, thiocarbamates

Singh and Walker

2006, Castelo-Grande

et al. 2010, Huang

et al. 2018, Tarla et

al. 2020

Nematicides

Carbamates

• Damages specific and vital

processes in the nematode

tissues

Adicarb, carbofuran, chloropicrin,

furadan, paladin, oxamyl, telone II,

temik, vapam, vydate

Castelo-Grande et al.

2010, Hajihassani

et al. 2018

Rodenticides Organobromines

• Interferes with the activation

of blood clotting factors in the

liver

Brodifacoum, bromethalin, carbon

monoxide, chlorophacinone,

cholecalciferol, diphacinone, hydrogen

cyanide, methyl bromide, sulfur dioxide

Castelo-Grande et al.

2010, DeClementi and

Sobczak 2012

DDT – Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, EPTC – Ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate

7.2.3 Carbamates

Carbamate compounds are commonly used as insecticides (esters of carbamic acid). While, the

derivatives of carbamic acid, thiocarbamic acid and dithiocarbamic acid are used as herbicides

(Gupta 2014). Regularly known carbamate pesticides are aldicarb, bendiocarb, carbofuran,

carbosulfan, carbaryl, methomyl, oxamyl, propoxur and ziram (Gupta 2014, Huang et al. 2018).

In soil and water, carbamates tend to hydrolyze easily, thus resulting in low levels of persistence in

the environment. The direct application of carbamates in soil can cause a significant reduction in

the microflora, worms and some of the compounds are toxic to mammals and birds (Basheer et al.

2009). Additionally, the excessive use of carbamates can disrupt enzymes that regulate acetylcholine,

which is a neurotransmitter in the nervous system. They cause disorders in reproductive and cellular

metabolic functions in animals and humans (Huang et al. 2018, Gonçalves and Delabona 2022).