ABSTRACT
The use of pesticides in agriculture continues to be an essential strategy to combat pests, despite the introduction of current environmentally friendly measures to reduce pesticide and fertilize inputs (e.g., organic agriculture). The global output of pesticides is currently estimated as 6 million tons per year, with Europe using one third and the USA one quarter of this production. Moreover, it is accepted that their continuous use for several decades have created a widespread contamination of the environment that threatens the function and integrity of ecosystems. In this chapter, the author provides an overview on the historical development of pesticides, from the early poisonous substances for managing pests (natural pesticides) to the most modern chemicals or synthetic pesticides. Likewise, the chapter offers an extensive knowledge on the main classes of agrochemicals currently used in agriculture, with data on species-specific toxicity, mode of toxic action and environmental fate; a comprehensive information needed to understand the environmental fate of pesticides as well as their impact on soil functioning, and to select the most suitable remediation strategies aimed to reduce their presence in the soil ecosystem.
