How do microbes reduce the environmental degradation caused by chemicals?

Microbes helps in reducing the environmental degradation caused by chemicals. The bioremediation can be observed in agriculture. Biofertilizers consists of microbes which enrich the soil by fixing the nitrogen from the atmosphere. Some examples of such microbes are nostoc, rhizobium etc. Biopesticides are also used to kill pests by producing an endotoxin which is ingested by the pest and causes the midgut lining to get destroyed.

Microbes are also immensely used in waste water treatment by treating the organic waste with microbes which degrades the organic waste and reduces the biological oxygen demand (i.e., BOD). Thus, microbes help in reducing the environmental degradation caused by chemicals by replacing them as a better alternative which doesn’t harm the environment.