Bioremediation of isoproturon herbicide in agricultural soils

Abstract

Isoproturon is a phenylurea herbicide widely used to control broad leaf weeds in cereal crops. It has been detected beyond the safe concentrations in a number of soil and water samples throughout the world. This review presents an overview of potential toxic effects of isoproturon and its fate in the environment. Moreover, major role of biodegradation as a permissible remedy tool in environmental decontamination to solve the problem of irrational use of this herbicide is highlighted. Recent advances in this area show that the microbial biodegradation of isoproturon can serve as a basis for the development of bioremediation processes in pure cultures and in the field.