Organophosphorus pesticides: Impacts, detection and removal strategies

• The toxicities (acute or chronic) of the organophosphorus pesticides on human is a function of exposure concentration. • Organophosphorus pesticides detection methods (conventional methods and advanced techniques) were compared. • Adsorption is comparatively cheaper than various other organophosphorus pesticides removal strategies. • The fates of degradation products of organophosphorous pesticides need to be further explored. Pesticides are applied to enhance the agricultural productivities by controlling the pests. However, enormous amount of the excessively-applied pesticides get into the environmental samples such as soil, water and air where they exert their toxic effects. One of the common pesticides in the environment is a group known as organophosphorus pesticides. Their persistency is low when compared to that of the organochlorine pesticides but their wide usage has raised serious concern among the environmentalists and government agencies. Herein, the toxicities of the organophosphorus pesticides on soil, water, air and man have been discussed. With their toxicities in mind, the conventional methods and the advanced techniques for their detections were discussed in details. The merits and demerits of these methods were highlighted. Finally, various methods of removing the detected organophosphorus pesticides from the environment were comprehensively discussed.