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As a generalized definition, a pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Though often misunderstood to refer only to insecticides, the term pesticide also applies to herbicides, fungicides, and various other substances used to control pests (US EPA 2010c). Pesticides are often referred to according to the type of pest they control. Major types of pesticides are listed in Table 5.1 (modified from US EPA 2010b). Pesticides have been used to control, eliminate, or destroy pests in order to meet the continuously increasing food demand of the world. Therefore, contamination of soils with persistent pesticides is a widespread problem arising from the extensive use of pesticides in agriculture or from industrial chemical wastes. They have harmful effects directly or indirectly on soil, environment, surface water and groundwater, natural flora and fauna …