Microbe-assisted remediation: A sustainable solution to herbicide contamination

Abstract

In recent decades, the areas cultivated with cereal grains and oilseeds have expanded worldwide, aided by agrochemical products (especially herbicides) and new technologies that improve crop yield and quality. The need to satisfy a growing demand for food while responding to public concerns about food safety and the contamination of ecosystems could be at least partly addressed through bioremediation strategies. These are aimed at reducing herbicide levels in the environment, and consequently in food, by using native or introduced microorganisms that degrade or detoxify organic substances into harmless compounds. Despite extensive research on the topic, many aspects of microbial remediation systems remain to be fully elucidated. This chapter focuses on the current situation regarding the application of the most important herbicides, the risks they pose, and their bioremediation through microorganisms.