Abstract
Chemical pollution of natural and agricultural habitats is a growing global problem and a serious threat to the sustainability and health of people. Among various chemical ecotoxicants of anthropogenic origin, organochlorine pesticides are among the most stable and dangerous for the environment and humans. Pesticides are chemical plant protection products, the intensive and not always justified the use of which has led to the fact that recently they are also considered among the most dangerous pollutants. One of the serious environmental problems is the pollution of natural objects with organic pesticides with high toxicity and persistence. Toxic substances can enter the environment and pose a threat to all living organisms, including the microbial population of the soil. Microorganisms isolated from ecosystems exposed to long-term treatment with pesticides can quickly decompose these compounds. The problem related to the decomposition of pesticide residues in the soil is an important environmental issue. Microorganisms are able to most effectively decompose xenobiotic substances foreign to the biosphere. The ability of microorganisms to decompose pesticides is associated with biochemical reactions and a high level of their adaptation. In this study, the microbial diversity of the soil in the territories adjacent to the pesticide burial sites was studied.