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Time-cumulative toxicity of neonicotinoids in aApis mellifera and b aquatic arthropods. Data sources: a clothianidin (r² = 0.99), Alkassab and Kirchner 2016; imidacloprid (r² = 0.81), Suchail et al. 2001 and Dechaume-Moncharmont et al. 2003; thiamethoxam (r² = 0.90), Oliveira et al. 2013; bCloeon dipterum and thiacloprid (r² = 0.90), van den Brink et al. 2016; Cypridopsis vidua and imidacloprid (r² = 0.88), Sánchez-Bayo 2009; Gammarus kischineffensis and thiamethoxam (r² = 0.95), Uğurlu et al. 2015
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New information on the lethal and sublethal effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on organisms is presented in this review, complementing the previous Worldwide Integrated Assessment (WIA) in 2015. The high toxicity of these systemic insecticides to invertebrates has been confirmed and expanded to include more species and compounds. Most of the re...
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... Apart from acute and chronic mortality, low levels of fipronil and neonicotinoids cause a range of sublethal effects in the exposed organisms. A long list of such effects in bees and aquatic organisms has been reported in several reviews on the subject (Desneux et al., 2007;Mamy et al., 2024;Pisa et al., 2015Pisa et al., , 2021, among which the following are noteworthy: loss of memory and disorientation in bees (Decourtye et al., 2009;Siviter and Muth, 2022;Stanley et al., 2015b), impaired olfactory learning in bees (Tan et al., 2017), inefficient pollination of bees and bumblebees (Feltham et al., 2014;Siviter et al., 2021), paralysis in water bugs (Motobayashi et al., 2012), feeding inhibition in mayflies and amphipods (Alexander et al., 2007;Nyman et al., 2013), reduced body size in mayflies and butterflies (Alexander et al., 2008;Whitehorn et al., 2018), frogs (Flach et al., 2023) and fish (Hayasaka et al., 2012), reduced growth in earthworms (van Loon et al., 2022), malformations and endocrine disruption in fish , and immune-suppression in fish (Sánchez-Bayo and Goka, 2005) and bees (Brandt et al., 2017;Di Prisco et al., 2013;Tesovnik et al., 2017). The latter sublethal effect appears to be one of the drivers of the colony collapse disorder (CCD) in managed honey bees (Buczek, 2009), as it fosters parasite infections and unleashes the virulence of bee diseases (Pamminger et al., 2018;Sánchez-Bayo et al., 2016). ...
Systemic insecticides were introduced in the 1950s, but only recently have become the major insecticides applied in agriculture for plant and animal protection. The selective toxicity of fipronil and neonicotinoids toward insects and other arthropods contrasts with the broad-spectrum toxicity of former insecticides, making them safer for fish and vertebrates. Applied mainly as seed coatings, drift contamination of spray applications can be avoided. The persistence of their residues in soil, however, is causing a widespread contamination of surface waters in many countries, prompting some regulation. Given their extreme toxicity, populations of insects, pollinators, and aquatic arthropods are declining, and consequently many insectivore vertebrates that depend on this food resource are also disappearing from the affected regions. Their effective control of sucking and internal pests is counterbalanced by the elimination of beneficial insects and the little or no gain they produce in yields of many crops, questioning their usefulness in agriculture. Residues appear in all agricultural products due to their systemic properties, including fruits, pollen, and nectar of plants, although the noncumulative properties ensure there is not build-up through the food chain. Sublethal effects of such food residues in humans are mostly unknown and require further investigation. Overall, the damage that these insecticides are having on ecosystems is disproportionately large compared to their small benefits in pest control.
... Restoring natural hydrological patterns, such as periodic flooding, aids in ecological function restoration [30]. Balancing agricultural needs with ecosystem preservation necessitates sustainable water management for agro-ecosystem health and resilience [31]. ...
This chapter examines the complex relationships between human activity and ecological systems, as well as the consequences of mining, industrialization, and agriculture on agro-ecosystems and their implications for environmental sustainability. The chapter starts with explaining dual nature of mutual impact of agricultural practices and agro-ecosystems. The benefits of production of food and financial stability are weighed against the drawbacks of intensive farming, monoculture, and chemical inputs, which frequently lead to soil erosion, the extinction of wildlife, and water contamination. The investigation then moves on to the industrial sphere, emphasizing its critical role in world development and closely examining its detrimental impacts on agro-ecosystems. It also sheds some light on how different industries contribute to employment possibilities, technical developments, and economic progress. It also emphasizes the damage that pollution, habitat degradation, and resource depletion cause to the ecosystem. The chapter also examines how mining operations affect agro-ecosystems, highlighting the conflict between resource exploitation and ecological sustainability. It highlights the need for mining in order to obtain vital resources while exposing the damage caused by habitat loss, soil erosion, and water pollution. An evaluation of sustainable practices and mitigation solutions is the result of this thorough investigation. The pivotal role of regulations, technological innovations, and conscientious practices are discussed in mitigating the adverse impacts of these sectors on agro-ecosystems. Through analytical research findings and case studies, this chapter advocates for a balanced approach that harmonizes human activities with environmental preservation, ensuring the resilience and longevity of agro-ecosystems for future generations.
... The agricultural intensi cation catalyzed by non-judicious use of pesticides including insecticides, weedicides, herbicides and fungicides lead to biodiversity loss and ecological imbalances. Pesticides like neonicotinoids and organophosphates are extensively used in the Kole paddy wetlands that are reported to cause lethal and sub-lethal effects on non-target organisms, including pollinators and a range of other taxa from microbes to vertebrates (Pisa et al. 2021). Apart from unscienti c agricultural practices, anthropogenic stressors such as mining, construction, sewage disposal and habitat fragmentation further amplify the Kole wetland deterioration (Jenin and Bhaskara 2017; Raj and Azeez 2018; Zainulabdeen and Nagaraj 2022). ...
This study investigates the impact of pesticide use on bee diversity and the potential role of non-crop habitats in mitigating these effects in the Kole paddy wetlands, a Ramsar site in Kerala, South-West India. Bee populations were sampled over two years, in six pesticide treated and six non-treated control fields, along with adjacent bunds as non-crop habitats. A total of 173 bees representing 10 species across two families—Halictidae and Apidae—were collected. Species richness and Shannon diversity, were consistently lower in pesticide-treated fields compared to control fields. Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) showed a distinct clustering of treated sites, indicating homogenized bee communities dominated by species such as Tetragonula sp. and Apis florea . In contrast, species like Halictus sp. were less common in treated fields. The bunds with dense vegetation, adjacent to treated fields showed a positive correlation with bee diversity, suggesting these areas act as refugia against pesticide exposure. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship (r = 0.8389, p = 0.0369) between the diversity of treated fields and their adjacent non-crop habitats. Our findings signify the need for integrated pest management strategies that reduce pesticide use and promote the conservation of non-crop habitats, such as bunds to support pollinator populations, thereby ensuring the overall health and functioning of Kole paddy wetlands.
... Combined with the previous analyses, this indicates that acute effects as well as more chronic or accumulative effects of neonicotinoids can be detrimental via pathways that reduce the health and behaviour of individual birds. In summary, we provide an objective estimation of effects through our meta-analysis of experimental studies and show that exposure to neonicotinoids impact every facet of a birds' life: generic adverse effects are found on all levels, where negative effects on health and behaviour result in substantial impact on reproduction and survival (Gibbons, Morrissey, and Mineau 2015;Pisa et al. 2021). In addition to overall effects, our data suggest that these effects are similar regardless of what type of neonicotinoid was used: there were significant negative effects for thiamethoxam (Hedges' g = −0.48, ...
Worldwide, bird populations are declining dramatically. This is especially the case in intensely used agricultural areas where the application of neonicotinoid insecticides is thought to—unintendedly—cause a cascade of negative impacts throughout food webs. Additionally, there could be direct (sub‐) lethal impacts of neonicotinoids on birds, but to date there is no comprehensive quantitative assessment to confirm or rule out this possibility. Therefore, we use a meta‐analytical approach synthesising 1612 effect sizes from 49 studies and show that neonicotinoids consistently harm bird health, behaviour, reproduction, and survival. Thus, in addition to reduced food availability, the negative direct effects of exposure to neonicotinoids likely contribute to bird population declines globally. Our outcomes are pivotal to consider in future risk assessments and pesticide policy: despite localised bans, the metabolites and residues of neonicotinoids remain present in the environment and in birds and will thus have long‐lasting direct effects on both the individual and the population levels.
... They are a family of several molecules, including some widely studied molecules such as imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam, that are applied in various formscoated seeds, granular applications, sprays, and soil treatments (Simon-Delso et al., 2015;Thompson et al., 2020). In recent decades, neonicotinoid insecticides have gained increasing attention due to their widespread presence in various environments and the potential adverse effects they pose to biodiversity (Bonmatin et al., 2019;Humann-Guilleminot et al., 2019a;Mamy et al., 2023;Pisa et al., 2017). Despite their initial perception as safe for non-target species due to selective toxicity towards arthropods, evidence now suggests that neonicotinoids may exert sublethal effects on a broad range of wildlife, including birds (Tomizawa et al., 2000). ...
... Toxicological studies revealed that neonicotinoids increased oxidative stress and impacted the reproductive development in mice (Wang et al., 2018), the behavior and physiological function of honey bees (Pisa et al., 2021), and in median lethal doses caused chronic toxicity in mammals (Hafeza et al., 2016). Studies conducted in human medicine detected neonicotinoids and their metabolites in urine, blood serum, and other biological samples of people from different countries all around the world (Dzerzhynskyi et al., 2013;Zhang et al., 2019), demonstrating the threat they pose to health (Xiao et al., 2022). ...
Insecticides play an important role in agriculture, general sanitary and veterinary practices, providing protection of the plants and yield from harmful insects and preventing the spread of arthropods which cause diseases in people and animals. Therefore, the objective of our study was to analyze the morphofunctional changes in the internal organs of laying hens affected by chronic intoxication with Actara 25 WG (thiamethoxam). Identification of the toxic action of theamethoxam was carried out in 150 day-old laying hens. The chronic intoxication with the insecticide was modeled by feeding mixed feed treated with the preparation in the doses that were calculated in mg of the active compound per 1 kg of body mass. The birds of the one group were the control and received mixed feed with no supplements. The hens of the first experimental group were given mixed feed that contained the insecticide in the dose of 360 mg/kg of body mass, and hens of the second experimental group consumed mixed feed containing the preparation in the dose of 180 mg/kg per body mass. We determined that laying hens of Experimental Group 1 had significant 1.24-fold decrease in the ventriculus and significant 1.39-fold increase in the spleen. Laying hens of Experimental Group 2 were observed to have increase in the absolute mass of the heart, measuring 1.36-fold compared with the control and 1.34-fold compared with Experimental Group 1. At the same time, the absolute masses of the spleen, liver, and ventriculus in Experimental Group 2 were 1.20, 1.46, and 1.19 times lower than in Experimental Group 1. Compared with the control, the absolute mass of the liver and ventriculus, was 1.54 and 1.48 times lower, respectively. Intake of feed with thiamethoxam by laying hens of the experimental groups led to decrease in the coefficient of relative mass of the liver and ventriculus. Those results significantly correlated with the absolute mass values of those organs, indicating the toxic impact of the insecticide on laying hens, with the digestive organs being the first to react. In Experimental Group 1 chickens, we observed dystrophic-necrotic changes in the liver, round-cell infiltration of the portal tracts; dystrophic-necrotic changes in epitheliocytes of the nephrons of the kidneys’; granular dystrophy of cardiomycetes, plethora of the capillaries, and stasis and edema of the stroma in the myocardium; pericellular edemas in the brain; mucous dystrophy, desquamation of the epithelium of the mucous membrane, decrease in lymphocytes in the lymphoid structures, and atrophy of the epithelium of the glandular structure in the stomach; hyperemia and necrosis of the villus tips, and round-cell infiltration of the crypt region in the thin intestine; and reproduction of cellular elements of the connective tissue between the crypts in the thin intestine. The insecticide in the dose of 180 mg/kg of body mass caused dystrophic-necrobiotic changes in the liver and kidneys; hyperemia and edema in the myocardium; pericellular edema, swelling, and vacuolar dystrophy of neurons in the brain; necrobiotic changes in the mucous membrane epithelioctes in the proventriculus; and deformation of the villi and edema of the mucous membrane in the small intestine.
... The ecological problems derived from the application of synthetic pesticides in the cultivation of mandarins are considerably diverse and relevant (Pisa et al., 2021). These pesticides typically have wide-ranging effects, affecting not only the target pests, but also beneficial insects, birds, and aquatic organisms, among others (Bouket et al., 2022). ...
This study investigates the implementation of equipment to obtain pyroligneous acid as an alternative to control aphids in mandarin cultivation on the El Arrayanal farm, Monte Olivo parish, Carchi province, Ecuador. Derived from mandarin pruning biomass using a dry distillation pilot oven, pyroligneous acid is an ecological option compared to synthetic phytosanitary products, with less impact on the environment and human health. Using a DBCA design, different concentrations of pyroligneous acid (250 ml, 500 ml, 750 ml, and 1000 ml) applied to immature shoots affected by aphids were analyzed. The 1000 ml concentration achieved 98% control of the pest. Analysis by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MSD) and Total Polyphenols confirmed the effectiveness of pyroligneous acid. The results of the study, carried out in the research and linkage laboratories of the State University of Bolívar, Guaranda, Ecuador, demonstrated significant differences between the doses applied (p-value
... However, up till now research mainly focused on short-term single species toxicity tests (e.g. Pisa et al., 2021), while exposure of natural communities is rarely addressed. Yet it is recognized that single species tests inadequately predict neonicotinoid effects on natural communities (Barmentlo et al., 2019(Barmentlo et al., , 2021. ...
... Barmentlo et al., 2021;Merga and Van den Brink, 2021;Duchet et al., 2023). However, mesocosm experiments that investigate the relationships between neonicotinoids and soil fauna communities are scarce (Pisa et al., 2021), except for short-term data on imidacloprid exposure (Sjursen Konestabo et al., 2022). ...
... The excessive use of pesticides has alarmed the scientific community due to their detrimental effects on human health, such as accelerating Parkinson's disease (Li et al., 2024;Paul et al., 2022), inducing prostate cancer (Pardo et al., 2020), and affecting respiratory functions (Ye et al., 2017). It also impacts the environment by contaminating all its components (air, water, soil and biota), resulting in the death of numerous living organisms (Pisa et al., 2021). Each year, pesticide pollution leads to a minimum of nine million premature deaths worldwide (HEAL, 2023). ...
The currently used pesticides are mostly semi-volatile organic compounds. As a result, a fraction of them can be adsorbed on atmospheric aerosol surface. Their atmospheric photolysis is poorly documented, and gaps persist in understanding their reactivity in the particle phase. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the photolysis rates of eight commonly used pesticides (i.e., cyprodinil, deltamethrin, difenoconazole, fipronil, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, permethrin, and tetraconazole) using a flow reactor. These pesticides were individually adsorbed on hydrophobic silica particles and exposed to a filtered xenon lamp to mimic atmospheric aerosols and sunlight irradiation, respectively.
The estimated photolysis rate constants ranged from less than (3.4 ± 0.3) × 10−7 s−1 (permethrin; >47.2 days) to (3.8 ± 0.2) × 10−5 s−1 (Fipronil; 0.4 days), depending on the considered compound. Moreover, this study assessed the influence of pesticide mixtures on their photolysis rates, revealing that certain pesticides can act as photosensitizers, thereby enhancing the reactivity of permethrin and tetraconazole. This study underscores the importance of considering photolysis degradation when evaluating pesticide fate and reactivity, as it can be a predominant degradation pathway for some pesticides. This contributes to an enhanced understanding of their behavior in the atmosphere and their impact on air quality.
... Organisms can come into direct contact with the pesticide when it is applied in the field or be affected by drift to neighboring fields. In the case of systemic pesticides, the AS are distributed among all parts of the treated plant, including pollen, nectar, and roots, and can affect non-target organisms feeding on these plants above-and belowground [27]. ...
Pesticides affect biota inside and outside agricultural fields due to their intrinsic mode of action. This study investigated whether pesticide active substances (AS) approved for conventional agriculture in Europe differ in their ecotoxicity from AS approved for organic agriculture. The evaluation was based on official ecotoxicological data for surrogate honeybee, bird, and earthworm species, which also serve as a reference for official environmental risk assessments in the pesticide authorization process. In October 2022, 268 chemical-synthetic AS approved for conventional and 179 nature-based AS approved for organic agriculture were listed in the EU Pesticide Database. Ecotoxicological data were only available for 254 AS approved for use in conventional agriculture and 110 AS approved for use in organic agriculture. The results showed a higher ecotoxicity of conventional AS: 79% (201 AS), 64% (163 AS) and 91% (230 AS) were moderately to acutely toxic to honeybees, birds, and earthworms, respectively, compared to 44% (48 AS), 14% (15 AS) and 36% (39 AS) of AS approved for organic agriculture. We have only considered the potential ecotoxicities of individual substances in this assessment; actual exposure in the field, where multiple AS formulations with other chemicals (including impurities) are applied, will be different. Nevertheless, these results emphasize that an increase in organic agriculture in Europe would reduce the ecotoxicological burden on biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.
