PESTICIDES DEGRADATIONS:MECHANISMS, PATHWAYS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS.

Pesticides play an important role in protecting crops, but their continued presence in soil, water and air has created major environmental challenges. Once released, these chemicals gradually break down through several mechanisms, including chemical reactions, sunlight-driven processes, microbial activity and other natural transformations. Factors such as pH, temperature, oxygen availability and microbial diversity strongly influence how quickly and efficiently pesticides are degraded. While many pesticides convert into safer compounds, some break down into intermediates that may remain toxic or persist in the environment for long periods. Slow or incomplete degradation can disturb soil fertility, reduce microbial populations, contaminate water bodies, and pose risks to ecosystems and human health. Recent approaches like bioaugmentation, biostimulator, phytoremediation and genomic tools have shown promise in improving the breakdown of these chemicals. A clear understanding of pesticide degradation pathways is therefore essential for developing environmentally safe agricultural practices and reducing long-term pollution.