Evaluation of Pesticide and Heavy Metal Contamination on Soil Properties and Microbiota in Thailand’s Mountainous Region

Abstract

The article aims to investigate the state of soil elements in upland agriculture and the state of pesticide contamination in the environment of differing highland agricultural areas in Thailand. The number of heavy metals present was Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd, dominant pesticide contamination in the carbamate group is methomyl (0.11 mg/kg), and the organochlorine group is triazophos (0.02 mg/kg). Pesticide contamination was found to positively and significantly correlate with the soil’s total N and Fe content (p < 0.01). In the soil microbes, the dominant genera of Aquabacterium were found at the highland agriculture site H1, Massilia at H2, and Sphingomonas at H3.