Study of the ecology of pesticide-degrading microorganisms in soil and an assessment of pesticide effects on the ecosystem

Ecological properties of microorganisms involved in aerobic degradation of 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T and salithion and in anaerobic degradation of chlorophenols were examined based on their phylogenetic classification, identification and characterization of genes and enzymes, and/or distribution, diversity and succession in the soil or sediment environment by culture- and molecular-based methods. Side effects of pesticides were evaluated on the soil microbial community by analyzing community-level physiological profiles, on duckweed proliferation considering long-term exposure, recovery potential from the damage and mixture effects of the pesticides, and on river biofilm by assembling a model river biofilm.