Microbe-Assisted Bioremediation of Pesticides from Contaminated Habitats 119

removal (95%) of PCP was attained by Anthracophyllum discolor after an incubation of 28 d

(Rubilar et al. 2007).

Abdel-Fattah Mostafa et al. (2022), isolated six fungal strains from contaminated soil and

determined their removal efficiency for diazinon. The collected soil samples were found to contain

0.106 mg kg^–1 of the pesticide diazinon. Among different fungal strains, B. antenatal was more

effective in removing diazinon (83.88%) followed by Trichoderma viride (80.26%), A. niger

(78.22%), Rhizopus stolonifer (77.36%) and Fusarium graminearum (75.43%) in 10 d. Strains

such as Aspergillus sydowii CBMAI 935 and Trichoderma sp. were able to reduce 63 and 70% of

chlorpyrifos after 30 d of incubation, respectively (Alvarenga et al. 2015). Ganoderma lucidum

GL-2 strain, showed the potential for the degradation of lindane (organochlorine pesticide) when

grown on rice bran substrate (Kaur et al. 2016). Biodegradation of lindane was higher (59.4%)

using F. solani when compared to F. poae (56.7%) (Sagar and Singh 2011). It has been reported that

Phlebia tremellosa, Phlebia brevispora and Phlebia acanthocystis could eliminate roughly 71, 74

and 90% of heptachlor, respectively, in a period of 14 d (Xiao et al. 2011). Alvarenga et al. (2014)

studied the efficiency of Aspergillus sydowii CBMAI 934, and Penicillium decaturense CBMAI

1234 for methyl parathion removal. A. sydowii CBMAI 934 was able to remove 100% of methyl

parathion in 20 d, whereas P. decaturense CBMAI 1234 degraded 100% methyl parathion in 30 d

(Alvarenga et al. 2014).

Different fungal species have been reported to effectively remediate pesticides from various

contaminated environments. However, several factors, such as species type, temperature, incubation

time and growth medium, influence the rate and efficiency of remediation of agrochemicals. In

addition, accelerated co-metabolism can be achieved by implementing the use of microbial consortia

for the effective bioremediation of many pesticides. Therefore, mixed consortia or synergistic

effects of the rhizosphere encourage and require further research for improving the efficiency of

bioremediation of pesticides.

7.5 Future Aspects and Conclusion

The overall evaluation of microbial bioremediation suggests a constructive outlook for microbe-

assisted pesticide remediation. Nevertheless, more scientific investigations into the technical

aspects of microbial bioremediation systems are needed. The major restriction in microbial pesticide

bioremediation is the long response time, which is usually due to the growth of microbes not being

supported by environmental conditions. The accessibility and bioavailability of pesticides is another

major challenge that limits the efficiency of bioremediation. Researchers are continuously exploring

advanced bioengineering techniques to develop bioremediation tools that could be applied to explore

the molecular basis of bioremediation and improve its efficiency. In depth studies using molecular

approaches, including metatranscriptomics, metagenomics, metaproteomics and metabolomics, are

required to reveal the interactions within communities and between different species in the microbe-

assisted bioremediation systems. Genetic engineering is a crucial systemic technology to modify

the metabolic pathways of microbes for improved remediation. In order to improve the practical

feasibility, some novel concepts for degrading pesticides using integrated processes and genetic

modifications to improve microbial based bioremediation technologies are also recommended.

Acknowledgment

The authors hereby acknowledge the Durban University of Technology, South Africa (UID: 84166),

Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India (CUPB/Acad./2022/1194), and CSIR-National

Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India for providing facilities.