“…Agrochemicals can reach the soil due to direct applications, such as for weed control and following seed treatment, as well as indirectly by spraying of the aerial parts of plants, the falling of treated foliage or fruits, and the movement of contaminated water on the surface and within the soil profile (Chaplain et al, 2011;Chowdhury et al, 2008;Cycon et al, 2017;Gevao et al, 2000). Once accumulated in the soil, these chemicals can be transported by leaching and surface runoff and they can undergo chemical processes such as hydrolysis, photolysis, and chemical degradation, as well as they can interact with the living fraction of the soil (the microbiota) and be biodegraded (Arias-Estévez et al, 2008;Chaplain et al, 2011;Kookana et al, 1998;Meite et al, 2018;Salazar-Ledesma et al, 2018;Shaheen et al, 2017). As a result of these processes, pesticides and/or their metabolites (which may be more or less toxic than the parent compounds) can reach hydric resources (surface and subterranean waters), become bioaccumulated through the food chain, be completely mineralized, or persist for long periods in the soil (Chaplain et al, 2011;Gevao et al, 2000).…”