The Degradation of Organophosphorus Pesticides in Natural Waters: A Critical Review

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Abstract
Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) have been widely used throughout the world since the decline in the use of organochlorine pesticides in the 1960s and 1970s. They are less persistent in the environment when compared with organochlorine pesticides and thus pose less long-term health risks to nontarget aquatic organisms and humans. However, in recent years several governmental agencies, including the USEPA, have started to reconsider the wide use of organophosphorus pesticides due to concern about their effects on the central nervous systems of humans, children in particular. This review discusses the fate of organophosphorus pesticides in the aquatic environment via processes such as adsorption, hydrolysis, oxidation, and photochemical degradation. Furthermore, the breakdown products of OPs are discussed, as new research has indicated that the products of degradation can be very harmful as well and because relatively little research has been carried out on comprehensive product identification. Recommended future research areas are highlighted.

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