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Small amounts of pesticides reaching target insects
... Depending on their application, only a minor fraction of the applied pesticides reaches their targets (Rodríguez-Eugenio et al. 2018), with the rest (30-50%) ending up on the soil surface and then being dispersed by several abiotic processes, including volatilization, wind erosion, leaching, or runoff (Fenner et al. 2013). Pimentel and Burgess (2011) also claimed that the amount of pesticides reaching pests is generally proportionate to the total amount of pesticides applied, thus a large amount of pesticides accumulates in the soil, affecting soil microorganisms (Pimentel and Burgess 2011). Soil pollution from pesticides has become a global concern (Silva et al. 2019). ...
... Depending on their application, only a minor fraction of the applied pesticides reaches their targets (Rodríguez-Eugenio et al. 2018), with the rest (30-50%) ending up on the soil surface and then being dispersed by several abiotic processes, including volatilization, wind erosion, leaching, or runoff (Fenner et al. 2013). Pimentel and Burgess (2011) also claimed that the amount of pesticides reaching pests is generally proportionate to the total amount of pesticides applied, thus a large amount of pesticides accumulates in the soil, affecting soil microorganisms (Pimentel and Burgess 2011). Soil pollution from pesticides has become a global concern (Silva et al. 2019). ...
... Cycoń et al. (2010) observed that even minimal application of pesticides can have negative effects, especially on the biological and chemical characteristics as well as biochemical activities of living microorganisms, Karimi et al. (2021) added that microbial respiration is reduced by 50% after pesticide use. Pimentel and Burgess (2011) reported that after the application of pesticides, a large amount accumulates in the soil, affecting soil microorganisms. ...
Pesticides are chemicals whose use is primarily intended to protect crops against pests. Unfortunately, the excessive use of these phytosanitary products generates environmental risks. To fully comprehend the biohazard posed by these agrochemi-cals, it is crucial to reveal the biological reaction of soil to pesticides. The objective of this work was to study the impact of pesticides on soil respiration through microbial communities. The experimentation was carried out for 28 days under controlled conditions on two types of soils. The first was subjected to phytosanitary treatments (Mospilan), and the second does not receive phytosanitary treatments. Soil respiration was monitored for two sampling periods where the soil was sampled in autumn 2021 and spring 2022. C-CO 2 released from the soil that never received a plant protection treatment is greater in fall and spring than C-CO 2 released from the soil subjected to plant protection treatments. The results present the soils not treated with the pesticide as being those with the highest respiration values (a peak of 272.8 mg of CO2 kg of soil −1 1 h −1 is recorded on the 14th day in autumn and a peak of 941.6 8 mg of CO2 kg of soil −1 1 h −1 recorded on the 7th day for the soil sampled in the spring) and the soils treated with the pesticide as those with the lowest values (a maximum of 214.13 mg of CO 2 kg of soil −1 1 h −1 is always recorded on day14 in autumn and 272.8 mg of CO 2 kg of soil −1 1 h −1 is always recorded on day 7 in spring). Quantifying the fluxes of released C-CO 2 allowed us to determine the negative impact of pesticides on the inhibition of microbial respiration. It is recommended to spread this study over several types of soil, considering several types of pesticides.
... Pesticides, however, are an environmental exogenous organism that can enter the environment by leave spraying, seed sowing, fumigation or direct dressing, causing the accumulation of residual persistent pesticides, which can adversely affect human health and ecosystems [4]. Soil can act as a ' reservoir ' and ' distribution center ' of pesticides in the environment, which may hold about 50% of the persistent pesticides [5]. Although the residual pesticides in soil can be gradually dissipated through absorption by crops, evaporating and degrading, the rates are normally slower than the agricultural cycle [6]. ...
... Adding MgSO4 and NaCl can improve partition and generate a better phase separation with high recovery rates [31]. In this study, 50 mg of each 5 specific adsorbent (0.1 mg/kg) was used for broflanilide extraction with the addition of 150 mg MgSO4. As indicated in Table 2, the average recovery rates of various adsorbents in rice soil ranged from 89.85% to 93.81%, satisfying the criteria of the Chinese national agricultural standard between 70%-120% [32]. ...
In this study, the separation conditions of UHPLC-QTOF-MS and the extraction conditions of QuEChERS were optimized. The analytical process for determining Broflanilide residues in different soil types was successfully established and applied to its adsorption, desorption and leaching in soil. Broflanilide was extracted from soil with acetonitrile as extraction solvent, and purified with 50 mg PSA + 150 mg MgSO4. The modified UHPLC-QTOF-MS method was used for determination. In different types of soil, the average recovery of Broflanilide was 87.7% -94.38%, and the RSD was lower than 7.6%. In the analysis and determination of the adsorption, desorption and leaching properties in four soils, the RSD was less than 9.2%, showing good stability and can be applied to the analysis and determination of the residue of Broflanilide in different soils.
... First, plant leaves have a waxy cuticle, and when using ordinary inorganic solutions, over 95% of the foliar fertilizer does not enter the plant and is wasted. 90 Additionally, high concentrations of inorganic solution-based foliar blocking agents can cause leaf burn, negatively impacting the plant's photosynthetic efficiency. Conversely, low concentrations of foliar fertilizers fail to achieve effective blocking, severely restricting the promotion and use of inorganic foliar blocking agents. ...
Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are among the most common potentially toxic elements (PTEs) found in paddy soil, where they can easily transfer from soil to rice grains. The widespread contamination of paddy soil with As and Cd, either individually or in combination, poses a significant threat to food security and human health in China. As and Cd exhibit different behaviours in soil, making the simultaneous management of As–Cd composite pollution a major technical challenge for safe rice production. This review summarizes several practical techniques for synchronously controlling uptake and translocation of As and Cd in rice plants, including water management, soil passivation, leaching technology, electrokinetic remediation, phytoremediation, selection of low-accumulation rice varieties, and application of foliar inhibitors. The treatment effects, mechanisms, and constraints of each technique are analyzed, and the development directions of the main control technologies are proposed. It emphasizes the importance of developing regionally adaptive, comprehensive technology models to manage paddy soil co-contaminated with Cd and As and ensure the safe production of rice.
... Unfortunately, less than 0.1% of pesticides used for pest control reach the insect pest, thus causing negative impacts on the environment and human health. Hence, more than 99.9% of the pesticides in use end up accumulating in the environment, in some cases human health hazard, in other cases hazard for useful biota contaminating soil, water and air of the ecosystem, and certain insects acquire insecticide resistance (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012). In a world where agriculture is the primary source of food, it remains very difficult to maintain this balance of managing pests and maintaining the natural environment within the agricultural ecosystem. ...
The agriculture industry faces a challenge in balancing the need for pest management and environmental protection. This review describes DNA insecticides, composed of small, single-stranded oligonucleotides that are environment-friendly and target pests efficiently and specifically DNA insecticide stems from the discovery of coevolution between baculo viruses and insects, where the virus exploit inhibitors of apoptosis (IAPs) genes to stop insect-induced apoptosis. Historically, the journey started by targeting IAP genes. Butthis context has now changed as DNA insecticides work best by targeting ribosomal RNAs (rRNA) of insect pests, where the oligonucleotide from rRNAs or any gene can be artificially designed using Contact Unmodified Antisense DNA (CUAD) Biotechnology to against the host target genes. DNA insecticides being operative in nature got later uncovered by humans showcases a novel, advantageous, and secure approach to manage insect pests.
... The use of phytosanitary products (or pesticides; hereinafter, both terms are used interchangeably in the paper) ensures high-quality production with less crop damage and consistent yields. However, often the amount of pesticides reaching target organisms is an extremely small percentage of the applied pesticides, moving the rest throughout the environment (Pimentel, 1995;Pimentel & Burgess, 2012; De Lavôr Paes Barreto et al., 2020). Therefore, pesticides can reach surface or groundwater systems through runoff and leaching from irrigation and rainwater, making them a diffuse pollution source (Sasáková et al., 2018). ...
This paper assesses the impact of viticulture on water resource quality in the Mendoza wine region using the grey water footprint (GWF) approach to estimate the amount of water required to dilute pesticides commonly used in local vineyards. Our analysis indicates that to progress towards sustainable water management in viticulture, limiting or replacing pesticides with high GWF values is essential. We provide detailed results for 24 fungicides, 7 insecticides, and 7 herbicides, assessed at both microregion and district levels, offering insights into pesticide impacts across both detailed and broader spatial scales. At the microregion level, the herbicide Fluroxypyr-meptyl was found to have the highest GWF (1.10 m³ kg-1), followed by the fungicide Fosetyl-aluminium (0.59 m³ kg-1) and the insecticide Imidacloprid (0.41 m³ kg-1). Our findings also show that pesticide impacts vary at the district level, highlighting the need for localised management strategies. Additionally, the significant variability in GWFs at the local level underscores the necessity for region-specific water quality standards to more accurately assess and manage the environmental impact of pesticide use. This study provides a framework for similar assessments in other viticultural regions, aiding in the development of more informed pesticide management to enhance water resource sustainability.
... Chronic exposure to pesticides is considered as a risk factor for developing diseases such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, Parkinson's disease, cognitive disorders and respiratory impairments (Inserm, 2022). Depending on their application, only a minor fraction of the applied pesticides reaches their targets (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012;Zivan et al., 2017), while the remaining ends up on soil, surface waters or in the atmosphere and is thereafter dispersed through several processes including volatilization, wind erosion, leaching or runoff (Fenner et al., 2013). Studies have shown that pesticide drift may account for a few percent to 25 % of pesticide loss during spraying in agricultural areas (Tudi et al., 2021). ...
The extensive use of pesticides combined with their persistence in the environment requires new methodologies to assess more effectively the population exposure to pesticides via air pollution. Biomonitoring pesticides with lichens has been poorly documented, although it represents a complementary approach to the usual active samplings, with an exposure to pesticides accumulated and integrated over several months. An optimized extraction procedure from the lichen Xanthoria parietina followed by a gas chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric analysis is proposed here to quantify simultaneously 48 pesticides considered in France as priority active substances to monitor in the air. This method has been applied to lichen samples collected in 24 sites in southern France covering urban, industrial, and agricultural areas in order to identify potential contrasts related to anthropogenic activities. Fifteen pesticides (six fungicides, five insecticides, and four herbicides), including four active compounds currently banned by EU legislation, were detected in at least one site. Lindane, diflufenican, difenoconazole, and boscalid were the most common pesticides found in all sites. Urban sites appeared generally less contaminated compared to industrial and rural ones, but a strong heterogeneity was noticed between locations. The biomonitoring with lichens revealed unexpected contaminated areas, partly due to the use of herbicides for vegetation control in industrial and railway installations. The spatial distribution also suggests an input of pesticides by atmospheric transport at the local and regional scales.
... Control strategies for the management 54 of plant diseases are available. However, the inefficiency of pesticide applications and delivery 55 is a big concern -for example, over 50% of aerially applied pesticides do not reach the desired 56 target crops (Pimentel and Burgess 2012), posing severe risks to the environment, non-target 57 organisms, and applicators (Schäfer et al. 2019). Therefore, innovative technologies to increase 58 the efficiency of delivery and the efficacy of pesticides are much needed, and nanotechnology is 59 a promising tool to address those inefficiencies (Fig. 1). ...
Nanoscale materials are promising tools for managing plant diseases and are becoming important players in the current agritech revolution. However, adopting modern methodologies requires a broad understanding of their effectiveness in solving target problems and their effects on the environment and food chain. Furthermore, it is paramount that such technologies are mechanistically and economically feasible for growers to adopt in order to be sustainable in the long run. This Feature Article summarizes the latest findings on the role of nanoscale materials in managing agricultural plant pathogens. Herein, we discussed the benefits and limitations of using nanoscale materials in plant disease management and their potential impacts on the environment and global food security.
... In the USA, approximately 545 million kilograms of pesticides are used annually, with 20% for insecticides, 68% for herbicides, and 12% for fungicides for pest control. Aerial application accounts for 50% of pesticide usage, with only a small fraction (0.003%) of the applied pesticides reaching their intended targets, while the rest contaminates soil, water, and air (Pimentel et al., 2012). Soil pollution caused by pesticides is a significant concern. ...
Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), also known as DDTs and Chlorinated
Cyclodienes, are extensively used in agricultural settings for pest, weed, and
ant control, leading to widespread concerns about water, air, and soil
pollution. This study focuses on evaluating the concentrations of DDTs and
Chlorinated Cyclodienes in nine soil samples collected from agricultural
farms in Durres city, Albania. The soil samples were extracted using a
Soxhlet apparatus, followed by column chromatography purification, and
quantified using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry (GC-MS).
The results revealed significant contamination of the soil samples with
organochlorine pesticides, underscoring the environmental risks and
potential threats to human health. It is important to note that this study
solely pertains to Durres city and its agricultural lands, and the findings
should not be generalized to all soils in Albania. The identification of
pesticide pollution in these specific soil samples highlights the urgent need
for mitigation strategies and reduced pesticide usage in the area. This
pioneering research provides crucial insights into the levels of DDTs and
Chlorinated Cyclodienes in agricultural farms within Durres city, fostering a
foundation for sustainable farming practices and environmental
preservation.
... The concentration formula was calculated with the assumption to find the concentration exposed to a bee (Formula 8). The number of percentages exposed (99 percent of an exposed pesticide does not reach target pests) [37] and the general number of bees in a colony (50,000 individual bees) [38] could be found in research articles and website articles. The value doses per hectare of each pesticide used in the calculation of the concentration of exposed pesticides (Formula 8) were found from several online safe-use instruction leaflets or articles for each pesticide. ...
For farmers around the world to protect crops from disturbing pests, it is common to use pesticides to ward off the growth of pests or even eliminate them. Even though pesticides are seen as a good thing for protecting crops, there is one thing that mustn’t be forgotten the origin of the pesticide itself is a toxin compound that is dangerous if used irresponsibly. The main concern of this study is excessive use of pesticides may cause serious consequences to the ecosystem and environment through the accumulation of pesticide residue by irresponsible farmers. To minimize the effects of pesticide residues, the selection of the type of pesticide needs to be considered which type may not be harmful to the environment's health even though accumulation happens. Therefore, in this study, a fuzzy-based computational model assessor was built to measure the safety level of pesticides toward the environment. The fuzzy model was created with consideration of several parameters related to pesticide behaviors, its effects on beneficial organisms, and its persistence in the environment. The method used for this study includes literature reviewing, fuzzification, statistical approach, expert knowledge sharing, and quantitative analysis. The model created in this study can assist in a more accurate and realistic method of selecting better pesticide options that will be used by farmers. To ensure the validity of the model, verifying and validating the formula and pesticide result assessment were done with related literature articles. In this study, from 10 types of pesticides used as a sample, dodine, and iprodione pesticides are the best option for protecting crops with a safety level of 7.36, and abamectin, dimethoate, chorpyrifos, and methidathion are not safe options for farming use because of its potential of harming the environment.
... However, it is important to acknowledge that their use is accompanied by adverse environmental consequences [7][8][9]. Over 90% of the applied agents in chemical treatments disperse into the environment [10]. Reducing the reliance on chemical plant protection products is crucial to mitigate the risks of environmental pollution, biodiversity depletion, and the development of pest resistance to chemical substances [11]. ...
Biological plant protection is a crucial component of integrated pest management strategies. It is considered a safer alternative to chemical plant protection, with reduced risks to human health and the environment. The significance of biological plant protection has been on the rise, driven by the European Union’s mandate to decrease the reliance on chemical pesticides, the discontinuation of certain chemical active substances, and their limited availability. Microbiological plant protection products find application in organic farming systems. Among these, mycoinsecticides are prominent examples, utilizing insecticidal fungi such as Beauveria bassiana, Cordyceps fumosoroseus, C. farinosa, and Metarhizium anisopliae complex. Due to the high sensitivity of these organisms to unfavorable weather and environmental conditions, their use in the protection of field crops may not bring the desired effect. The enhancement of their efficacy may be accomplished through the use of adjuvants. Adjuvants are substances incorporated into plant protection products, including microbial insecticides, or used alone to enhance their effectiveness. They can play a pivotal role in improving the performance of mycoinsecticides by ensuring better coverage on plant surfaces and increasing the likelihood of successful pest control, thereby contributing to the overall success of biological methods of pest control. Consequently, it becomes imperative to investigate the impact of various adjuvants on the survival and effectiveness of microorganisms. Furthermore, there is no officially approved list of adjuvants for use in organic farming, the use of inadequate adjuvant may result in failure to obtain an organic certificate. The origin of adjuvants determines their classification, which significantly impacts for employment in organic farming practices. Included tables provide a list of adjuvants and additives known to enhance the efficacy of pest and disease control.
... However, the uncontrolled and irrational use of pesticides has also caused a series of intractable problems such as soil pollution, water pollution and food contamination, etc. Especially in recent years, the industrialization of the agricultural industry has increased the chemical burden on the natural ecosystems. Soil is "reservoir" and "distribution center" to the pesticide in the environment, approximately 50% of the pesticides applied to crop fields will migrate to the soil (Pimentel and Burgess 2012). Although this part of the pesticides could gradually dissipate from the soil through volatilization, degradation, and absorption by crops, this rate often lags behind the agricultural production cycle. ...
All pesticides are toxic by nature and pose short- or long-term safety risks to human or the environment, especially when they were used extensively and absence of safety measures. As a new insecticidal active compound with a novel mechanism of action, there is a serious inadequate of information on the hydrolytic behavior of broflanilide in the aqueous environment, as well as its degradation pattern in agricultural soils. In particular, the effects of temperature and pH of the aqueous environment on its hydrolytic behaviors and the dissipation pattern in different types of agricultural soils were still in a dark box. And the further understanding and insights into this insecticidal active ingredient were being deeply conditioned by these doubts. The hydrolysis behavior of broflanilide and the dissipation pattern in soil were systematically investigated by constructing hydrolysis systems with different temperatures and pH values, and conducting spiking experiments in different types of agricultural soil in the laboratory. The obtained results showed that the longest hydrolysis half-life of 10 mg/L broflanilide at 25 °C was 43.32 h (in pH 4.0 buffer), while it was only 12.84 h in pH 9.0 buffer. In pH 7.0 buffer, the hydrolysis rate of broflanilide exhibited a significant temperature dependence, as shown by the fact that for every 10 °C increase in the system temperature, the corresponding hydrolysis rate will increase about 1.5 times. The dissipation experiments in soils showed that broflanilide was most rapidly dissipated in fluvo-aquic soil (half-life of 1.94 days), followed by lime concretion black soil (half-life of 2.53 days) and cinnamon soil (half-life of 3.11 days), and slower in paddy soil (half-life of 4.03 days). It was indicated that broflanilide was a readily degradable pesticide in both aqueous environment and agricultural soil, and it was significantly affected by the temperature and pH of the system.
... Currently, the intensive use of chemical crop protection agents and mineral fertilizers is an environmental factor that has a significant impact on the structural and functional organization of agro-ecosystems and the mechanisms of their internal regulation (Hole et al., 2005;Emmerson et al., 2016;Wagner, 2020;Sánchez-Bayo, 2021;Serrão et al., 2022;Panico et al., 2022). This is particularly the case with pesticides as the most toxic agents, whose combined effects can pose a risk to animal populations and human health (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012;Nagy et al., 2020;Hernández et al., 2021;Goumenou et al., 2021;Tsatsakis et al., 2021;Dardiotis et al., 2023). ...
Intensification of crop cultivation can have detrimental environmental consequences that however can be prevented by monitoring of the specific biological indicators sensitive to changes in the ambient environment. In this study the impact of crop type (spring wheat and corn) and cultivation intensity on the community of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia was investigated. A total of 39 species from 15 genera were collected. Ground beetles' community was characterized by a high evenness of species distribution across the agroecosystems. The average Jaccard's similarity index for species presence/absence was 65%, and for abundance it was 54%. The significant difference in the distribution of predatory and mixophytophages ground beetles in wheat crops (U test, P < 0.05) can be justified by the constant suppression of the weed component and the use of insecticides that lead to the dominance of the predators. Fauna of wheat crops was more diverse than that in corn (Margalef index, U test, P < 0.05). No significant differences in biological diversity indexes, except for the Simpson dominance index (U test, P < 0.05, wheat), were found in ground beetle communities in crops at different levels of intensification. A certain differentiation of predatory species was caused by the selective occurrence of the litter-soil species, especially abundant in the row-crop. The specificity of the ground beetle community of corn crops may have been caused by repeated inter-row tillage, which influenced the increase in porosity and topsoil relief and contributed to the creation of favorable microclimatic conditions. In general, the applied level of agrotechnological intensification had no significant effect on the species composition and ecological structure of beetle communities in agrolandscapes. The use of bioindicators made it possible to assess the environmental sustainability of the agricultural environment and also creates the prerequisites for the development of ecologically directed correction of agrotechnological operations in agroecosystem management.
... In turn, spraying pesticides from aircraft is allowed in Brazil (Hipólito et al., 2021) and the USA, but it is prohibited in all countries of the European Community (EC, 2023). This practice promotes a considerable loss of pesticides that can reach approximately 50% (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012). In addition, substances from aerial spraying can be transported through the air, reaching rivers, springs, soils, and residential areas (Ferreira, 2015;Kalyabina et al., 2021). ...
Due to the increasing population worldwide, in recent years, an exponential increase in agricultural practices has occurred in order to attend to the growing demand for food. Unfortunately, this increase is not associated with the supply of foodstuffs free of environmental pollutants. In Brazil, agriculture is one of the most important economic pillars, making the country one of the largest consumers of pesticides around the world. The intense use of pesticides, mainly glyphosate, 2,4-D, and atrazine, constitutes an essential factor in the viability of this great agricultural productivity. Sugarcane, corn, soybean, and citrus crops consume around 66% of the total pesticides worldwide, representing 76% of the planted area. Pesticide residues have been frequently detected in food and the environment, becoming a significant concern for human health. Monitoring programs for pesticide use are essential to reduce the potential negative impacts on the environment and improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of their use. However, in Brazil, the approval status of pesticide-active ingredients is very discrepant compared to other agricultural countries. Moreover, the duality of benefits and risks of pesticide application creates an economic and toxicological conflict. In this paper, we have critically reviewed the duality of risks-benefits of the use of pesticides in agriculture and the current Brazilian legislation issues. We have also compared this flawed legislation with other countries with high economic potential. Due to the negative environmental impacts on soil and water by the high levels of pesticides, remediation techniques, sustainable agriculture, and the development of new technologies can be considered some viable alternatives to reduce the levels in these compartments. Besides, this paper includes some recommendations that can be included in the coming years.
... Presently, with the increasing amount of pesticides used, there is concern about their adverse effects on off-target organisms, including humans, the exposure risk, and consequently the growing exposure effect [2]. Only a limited portion of pesticides that are spread in the environment achieve their intended purpose [3]. It has been estimated that in some cases, less than 0.1% of the pesticides applied to crops reach the targeted pest; the rest enter the environment gratuitously, contaminating soil, water, and air [4]. ...
Background:
In recent decades, the use of pesticides in agriculture has increased at a fast pace, highlighting safety problems for the environment and human health, which in turn has made it necessary to develop new detection and decontamination systems for pesticides.
Methods:
A new qualitative test capable of detecting the presence of pesticides on fruits and vegetables by using thermostable enzymes was discovered, and the test was carried out on apples and aubergines. The contaminating pesticides were extracted from fruits with acetonitrile and analyzed with a biosensor system based on the thermostable esterase EST2 immobilized on a nitrocellulose filter. This enzyme is irreversibly inhibited mainly in the presence of organophosphates pesticides. Therefore, by observing esterase activity inhibition, we revealed the presence of residual pesticides on the fruits and vegetables.
Results:
By analyzing the rate of esterase activity inhibition, we predicted that residual pesticides are present on the surface of the fruits. When we cleaned the fruits by washing them in the presence of the phosphotriesterase SsoPox before the detection of the esterase activity on filters, we observed a full recovery of the activity for apples and 30% for aubergines, indicating that the enzymatic decontamination of organophosphates pesticides took place.
Conclusions:
The reported method permitted us to assess the pesticides present on the vegetables and their decontamination.
... Additionally, spotspraying could effectively minimize the amount reaching off-target areas (Melland et al., 2016). In the United States, Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a series of measures, including prohibiting aerial applications for all atrazine labels to reduce their chance of runoff from the managed fields (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012;McCullough et al., 2015). ...
Deep learning methods for weed detection typically focus on distinguishing weed species, but a variety of weed species with comparable plant morphological characteristics may be found in turfgrass. Thus, it is difficult for deep learning models to detect and distinguish every weed species with high accuracy. Training convolutional neural networks for detecting weeds susceptible to herbicides can offer a new strategy for implementing site-specific weed detection in turf. DenseNet, EfficientNet-v2, and ResNet showed high F1 scores (≥0.986) and MCC values (≥0.984) to detect and distinguish the sub-images containing dollarweed, goosegrass, old world diamond-flower, purple nutsedge, or Virginia buttonweed growing in bermudagrass turf. However, they failed to reliably detect crabgrass and tropical signalgrass due to the similarity in plant morphology. When training the convolutional neural networks for detecting and distinguishing the sub-images containing weeds susceptible to ACCase-inhibitors, weeds susceptible to ALS-inhibitors, or weeds susceptible to synthetic auxin herbicides, all neural networks evaluated in this study achieved excellent F1 scores (≥0.995) and MCC values (≥0.994) in the validation and testing datasets. ResNet demonstrated the fastest inference rate and outperformed the other convolutional neural networks on detection efficiency, while the slow inference of EfficientNet-v2 may limit its potential applications. Grouping different weed species growing in turf according to their susceptibility to herbicides and detecting and distinguishing weeds by herbicide categories enables the implementation of herbicide susceptibility-based precision herbicide application. We conclude that the proposed method is an effective strategy for site-specific weed detection in turf, which can be employed in a smart sprayer to achieve precision herbicide spraying.
... 26 It was estimated by Pimentel et al. that one million droplets of insecticides must be applied to target one mosquito. 27 This off-target deposition added to their extensive use has led to the contamination of aquatic and terrestrial environments, even tracing to drinking water. 28 Additionally, pesticides are also present in the atmosphere as a result of their high volatility and redistribution by aerial currents and drifts. ...
Pesticide contamination is a global issue, affecting nearly 44% of the global farming population, and disproportionately affecting farmers and agricultural workers in developing countries. Despite this, global pesticide usage is on the rise, with the growing demand of global food production with increasing population. Different types of porous materials, such as carbon and zeolites, have been explored for the remediation of pesticides from the environment. However, there are some limitations with these materials, especially due to lack of functional groups and relatively modest surface areas. In this regard, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide us with a better alternative to conventionally used porous materials due to their versatile and highly porous structure. Recently, a number of MOFs have been studied for the extraction of pesticides from the environment as well as for targeted and controlled release of agrochemicals. Different types of pesticides and conditions have been investigated, and MOFs have proved their potential in agricultural applications. In this review, the latest studies on delivery and extraction of pesticides using MOFs are systematically reviewed, along with some recent studies on greener ways of pest control through the slow release of chemical compounds from MOF composites. Finally, we present our insights into the key issues concerning the development and translational applications of using MOFs for targeted delivery and pesticide control.
... Genetically modified (GM) crops and insecticides have routinely been used to control FAW [15]. Insecticides increase the cost of maize production [16], are hazardous to nontarget organisms [17], pollute the environment [18,19] and pose health risks to animals and humans [13,20]. The cultivation of GM crops, on the other hand, is still a developing alternative in SSA [21]. ...
Stem borer (SB) and more recently, fall armyworm (FAW) are serious economic pests in maize production in sub-Saharan Africa. It is hypothesized that SB-resistant germplasm may confer resistance against FAW. However, the performance of SB-resistant lines in hybrid combinations and the inheritance of FAW-resistant traits under variable FAW infestations have not been reported. This study was conducted to (i) obtain information on the inheritance of agronomic and FAW-resistant traits under variable FAW infestations; (ii) identify hybrids combining high grain yield (GYLD) and stability under FAW infestations; and (iii) determine the effects of FAW damage on GYLD. Three SB-resistant lines (1393, CKSBL10060 and CML 331) as testers and six open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) as lines were crossed in a line tester scheme to generate eighteen test crosses. The test crosses together with two tester × tester crosses and two checks were evaluated under artificial FAW infestation (AI), natural infestation (NI) and pesticide-protected condition (PC) in Nigeria. Additive and non-additive effects were significant for GYLD, most agronomic and FAW-resistant traits under AI and NI, except ear damage (EDAM) scores under NI, whereas only the non-additive effect was significant for GYLD under PC. Two testers (1393 and CKSBL10060) combined significant and positive GCA effects for GYLD with desirable GCA effects for FAW-resistant traits under AI and NI, whereas CML 331 combined significant and negative GCA effects of GYLD with undesirable GCA effects of FAW resistance under the test conditions. Three OPVs (AWR SYN-W2, AMATZBR-WC4 and TZB-SR) had a significantly positive GCA effect for GYLD and a desirable GCA effect for either leaf damage (LDAM) or EDAM score under AI. The FAW LDAM and EDAM significantly reduced GYLD under AI but not under NI. Three test crosses (AMATZBR-WC4 x CKSBL10060, TZB-SR x CKSBL10060 and TZBR Comp 1-WC2 × 1393) combined high yield with stability and FAW tolerance across the test conditions and thus were recommended for further testing.
... It is referred to any substance that may drive an adverse effect on air, water, soil, or living organism (D'Surney & Smith, 2005). The use of pesticides is estimated at 2 million tons annually (Sharma et al., 2019), but less than 1% of the total applied pesticides reach the target pest (Pimentel, 1995;Pimentel & Burgess, 2011). Thus, most pesticides are released and spread, causing EP (Nicolopoulou-Stamati et al., 2016;Kansoh et al., 2020). ...
Intensive agriculture has led to several environmental impacts, such as soil erosion, water scarcity, and pesticide pollution. Despite the increasing research advocating greener agriculture, the transition into sustainable agriculture practices has been slower than expected. Then, why are we stuck in this transition? In this scientific essay, we aimed to answer this question not only by analyzing agricultural systems but also by the associated actors. Specifically, this scientific essay analyzed and discussed how agricultural systems integrate with the surrounding market, society, and policies. We made a literature review of the impacts of intensive agriculture on global change and an analysis of greener agricultural systems. Then, we analyzed how the market, society, and policies can influence the transition from intensive agriculture to greener agricultural systems. In addition, we complement that literature review with a survey made in Chile. Our analysis highlighted ecological intensification (EI) as the most promising production system in terms of sustainability. However, the most sustainable was not necessarily the most supported by the market and society. We found a disconnection between consumers' environmental concerns and what they support when buying foodstuff. Our survey showed that most people are aware of soil degradation and high-water consumption, but above all, they want pesticide-free and organic food attributes. The literature review and survey results suggested how policies can break the status quo of intensive agriculture predominance. Thus, we propose a market–society–policy nexus to promote sustainable agriculture. Our suggestions are: (1) Policies should support sustainable agricultural systems at the landscape level to safeguard the ecological processes involved in agricultural production. (2) Markets should standardize eco-labels, improve clarity in foodstuff information, and relate environmental benefits to consumer benefits. (3) A subsidy on sustainable food is needed to keep the regular market prices and attract new consumers, at least in the early stages.
... X There are currently no robust data on how much antimicrobials (pesticides like fungicides and bactericides, including antibiotics) are used globally by the plant sector� That some antimicrobials are used to treat both human and plant diseases is cause for concern regarding potential human-pathogen resistance� X There is a lack of data on the contents and concentrations of pesticide residues in agricultural soils worldwide� Pesticide residues frequently occur in mixtures, which should be taken into account when assessing risks to soil organisms� X The One Health perspective emphasises that human, animal and plant health are related, thereby expanding the potential field of risk concerning antimicrobial resistance. It has been estimated that the amount of pesticides reaching targeted pests is actually extremely small, even when properly applied (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012). 35 Factors that influence the percentage of sprayed pesticides reaching target pests, for instance, include drift, volatization, contact with abiotic and biotic non-targets degradation by abiotic and biotic processes (Duke, 2017). ...
... There are conventional large size analytical instruments such as gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) [6,9]. However, these suffer from some disadvantages like time consuming, expensive, large size, high maintenance cost and require trained technicians, which limit their field application [10]. ...
We report on the sensing of a hazardous pesticide alphacypermethrin (ACM) using electrochemical technique through a nanocomposite film modified electrode. The nanocomposite film comprising of octadecylamine, chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol-silver nanowires and haemoglobin, shortly (OCPAH), was prepared by Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) film deposition technique on various substrates and electrodes. The composite LB film was characterised by UV-visible spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, which confirms the stable and multilayer film. The LB film modified electrode was used for sensing ACM pesticide by cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and square wave voltammetry (SWV) techniques. The achieved sensing parameters such as limit of detection as 14 nM, 5 nM and 10 nM; linear range as 10–100 nM, 10–40 nM and 50–100 nM/10–100 nM; and sensitivity as 0.418 µA/nM/cm2, 0.259 µA/nM/cm2 and 0.271 µA/nM/cm2 for CV, DPV and SWV techniques, respectively. The reported sensor is found to have stability of 74% upto 20 cycles, the relative standard deviation (RSD) value for metal ion/organic interference species as 2% and for real samples are within 1.4% using CV technique. The reported nanocomposite-based ACM pesticide sensor will open up new options for research on LB film nanocomposite-based sensing of different organophosphorus groups of pesticides.
... In 1985, Pimentel and Levitan reported that the United States applied about 500 million kilograms of pesticides to plants every year, but only 0.1% of them achieved the goal of effectively eliminating pests (Pimentel and Levitan, 1986). In 2011, 25 years later, Pimentel and Burgess reiterated this statement, stating that 545 million kilograms of pesticides are applied to crops in the United States each year, and several applications have shown that only <0.1% of these pesticides have reached the target (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012). Worldwide, the use of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides has been increasing, but today, we don't know the exact amount. ...
Nano-based delivery technology with its improved use has entered into the food production chain. In agriculture, massive production of nano-carriers is required, which imposes economical boundaries limiting the production costs and potential revenues for producers. Long-term environmental risks and economic viability should be taken into consideration besides the fate of nano-encapsulation materials, and their physicochemical and biological performance. By 2050, the world's population will reach 9.7 billion challenging the food production chain at various levels such as social, economic as well as environmental. The scientific community and governmental bodies are looking for novel and new strategies to bring the quality and quantity of food supply sustainable to essentially meet the demands of a rapidly growing population.
... It can alter the nature of the soil microorganisms, which are accountable for soil health, plant growth, and the proper maintenance of the ecosystem. The interference of the chemical pesticides in the soil deteriorated soil fertility by spoiling the microflora and microfauna (Pimentel and Burgess 2012). Fungicide is harmful to the fungi present in the soil and to the actinomycetes by altering the structure of the microbial community. ...
Industrialization, urbanization, and mining activities are the primary sources of soil contamination. Human-made and rare natural activities are disseminating potentially toxic elements and organic pollutants in the environment. Restoration of ecology also blends several related disciplines, including hydrology, geomorphology, and oceanography. The primary role of the restoration of ecology is to conserve or improve the soil ecosystem services and implement efficient environment-friendly techniques for the characterization of pollutants, risk assessment in problematic zones, and reclamation of polluted agricultural sites. Physical and chemical methods are widely in practice to restore the contaminated agricultural soil efficiently. There are also eco-friendly better techniques that comprehend the mobilization and immobilization of enzymes/microbes to reawaken the polluted soil. Restoration of agricultural soil is an important concept needed in the present and future to make the upcoming generation healthier and make the ecosystem stable.
... It can alter the nature of the soil microorganisms, which are accountable for soil health, plant growth, and the proper maintenance of the ecosystem. The interference of the chemical pesticides in the soil deteriorated soil fertility by spoiling the microflora and microfauna (Pimentel and Burgess 2012). Fungicide is harmful to the fungi present in the soil and to the actinomycetes by altering the structure of the microbial community. ...
Increased industrial growth in the world serves a significant role in the water contamination with heavy metals. Heavy metals such as arsenic, copper, lead, chromium, mercury, nickel, and cadmium impart several health hazards to humans, plants, and animals. Moreover their accumulation potential disturbs the food chain. Freshwater demand is higher in the world which may lead to a severe water crisis in the upcoming years. Hence feasible water treatment technologies must be identified and its efficiency must be concentrated. Heavy metals bear the risk of biodegradation and transformation. Hence adsorption is found to be an attractive method nowadays for sequestration of such metals. It is an economically feasible and eco-friendly method. Biochar is advantageous over other adsorbents such as activated carbon, graphene, silica, etc. It is the product of a thermochemical process which possesses better adsorption capacity. It reduces the production time and in addition provides fuel. Different pyrolysis conditions influence the quantity and yield of char. The degree of biochar adsorption is mainly focused on the type of biomass used, metal species concentrated, functional groups, and surface area of the biochar. Regeneration of biomass is also an important phenomenon to be considered as the adsorbed biochar may cause secondary pollution if not disposed in a proper manner. In order to improve the surface properties, physical structure, and regeneration capacity of biochar, various modification technologies have been adopted. It will also pave way for the effective utilization of waste biomaterials in wastewater treatment. The modification may be carried out before pyrolysis or after pyrolysis. It is categorized under physical, chemical, magnetic, and mineral impregnation methods. This review focuses on the mechanism and improvements of the treated biochar in comparison to the pristine biochar for heavy metal sequestration.
... It has been estimated that more than 10 000 species of different insects, 30 000 weed species, and 100 000 diseases (caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) damage crops worldwide (Dhaliwal et al., 2015). Contrary to the huge amounts of pesticides applied to crops, only a very small portion could reach target pests (Pimentel and Burgess, 2012). Because of their excessive utilization, OPPs are released into the natural environment and are thus detected frequently in soil, sediments, and water (Zhu et al., 2017). ...
Pesticides are an integral part in maintaining agriculture and horticultural productivity and play a vital role in meeting the increasing food, fiber, and fuel needs of the growing population. Globally, organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) are among the most common pesticides used due to their high proficiency and relatively low persistence in the environment. However, recent studies have reported problems due to pesticide use, e.g., phorate contamination of aquatic ecosystems (fresh and groundwater), sediments, fruits and vegetables, and forage crops. This review highlights many cases where phorate has been detected above its respective maximum residue limit values. Organophosphate pesticides, including phorate, have negative impacts on both the environment and human health. The ecological and public health concerns of recurrent pesticide utilization have encouraged the research related to environmental fate of pesticides. Bioremediation is an effective, eco-friendly, and financially viable approach for the decontamination and degradation of toxic OPPs from the environment, compared to the costly, unecological, and time-consuming physicochemical approaches, which lead to the generation of byproducts of higher toxicity. Researchers have recognized that a wide range of microbes, mainly bacteria, can degrade this extremely hazardous pesticide. Therefore, this review discusses the present pesticide scenarios, especially phorate contamination, its toxicity, biodegradation, and metabolic products via bacterial communities, both in India and globally. The latest and up-to-date literatures on the use, contamination, and bacterial application of phorate degradation are also summarized. This article offers national and international food safety organizations and public health authorities the ability to be involved in preventing the risks associated with the use of food and nutrition products contaminated with extremely toxic phorate pesticide. This article would also enable researchers to develop comprehensive and sustainable methods to effectively remediate pesticide-contaminated environments. In conclusion, it is envisaged that the successful application of bacterial communities for degradation of phorate would help in understanding the fate and persistence of such toxic pollutants in a better way.
... Unlike other pollutants, pesticides are deliberately applied to the environment to utilise their toxic properties to control pests and vectors of diseases. Less than 0.1% of applied pesticides reach their target pests, whereas the remaining 99.9% move into different environmental media to pose severe threats to the environment (Pimentel and Burgess 2012). Pesticides can drift in the air, persist in soil, water, and vegetation, and are toxic to a host of non-target organisms, including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and plants. ...
The acute toxicity of the pesticides atrazine, mancozeb, chlorpyrifos and lambda-cyhalothrin, acting singly and jointly, was assessed on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. Median lethal concentration (LC50), median lethal time (LT50), and mixture interaction were estimated, whereas survival analysis was used to model time-to-death. The most toxic single and joint mixture was lambda-cyhalothrin and chlorpyrifos-lambda cyhalothrin, respectively. The risk of death (RoD) of fingerlings exposed to 9.22 mg l⁻¹ atrazine-mancozeb mixture was 1.76 times higher than fingerlings exposed to 9.0 mg l⁻¹ atrazine (p > 0.05). However, RoD of fingerlings exposed to 9.95 mg l⁻¹ atrazine-chlorpyrifos was 5.59 times higher than fingerlings exposed to 9.0 mg l⁻¹ atrazine (p > 0.05). The risk of death of fingerlings exposed to 20.8 mg l⁻¹ atrazine-lambda cyhalothrin was 2.81 times higher than 21.0 mg l⁻¹ atrazine. The toxicity of 2.3 mg l⁻¹ mancozeb-chlorpyrifos was 254.25 higher than 2.2 mg l⁻¹ mancozeb (p < 0.01). Fingerlings exposed to 4.33 mg l⁻¹ mancozeb-lambda cyhalothrin and 0.177 mg l⁻¹ chlorpyrifos-lambda cyhalothrin mixture were 0.02 and 0.14 times less likely to die than those exposed to 4.8 mg l⁻¹ mancozeb and 0.17 mg l⁻¹ chlorpyrifos, respectively (p < 0.01). Atrazine-mancozeb, atrazine-chlorpyrifos, atrazine-lambda cyhalothrin, and mancozeb-chlorpyrifos interaction were synergistic, and their relative risk was >1. Both mancozeb-lambda cyhalothrin and lambda-cyhalothrin-chlorpyrifos mixtures were antagonistic, and their relative risk was less than 1. Survival analysis can show interaction in complex pesticide mixtures.
... It was observed that pesticides near the target organism, affect a large number of the nontarget organisms. These effects are not limited only to the death of the nontarget organisms, but are also linked to changes in organism fitness (reproduction, survival and longevity) [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Environmental pollutants can affect behavior and life history parameters including growth and reproductive functions of nontarget organisms. ...
Pesticides can induce changes in behavior and reduce the survival chance of aquatic organisms. In this study, the toxic effects of glyphosate suspension (Glyphosate Aria 41% SL, Tehran Iran) on behavior and tissues of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were assessed. For this purpose, a 96 h LC50 of glyphosate suspension (68.788 mL•L −1) was used in the toxicity test. All individuals were divided into control and treatment groups with four replicates. Exposure operations were performed under two conditions: increasing concentration of suspension from 0 to 68.788 mL•L −1 ; then, decreasing to the first level. The swimming pattern was recorded by digital cameras during the test and tissue samples were collected at the end of the test. There were significant differences between the swimming pattern of treated individuals and control ones during both steps. The sub-lethal concentration of glyphosate led to hypertrophy, hyperplasia and hyperemia in the gill of fish. However, changes were obvious only after sampling. The exposed fish also displayed clinical signs such as darkening of the skin and increasing movement of the operculum. Moreover, glyphosate suspension affected swimming patterns of fish suggest that the swimming behavior test can indicate the potential toxicity of environmental pollutants and be used as a noninvasive, useful method for managing environmental changes and assessing fish health conditions by video monitoring.
... Several studies show how crop management, without the use of pesticides, would averagely result in 35% loss of potential yields in the pre-harvest phase [4], and another 35% during transformation, transport, and other processing steps [5]. On the other hand, 10 to 75% of applied pesticides does not actually reach the target organisms and is dispersed in the environment [6,7]. As a consequence, significantly higher doses, compared to those really needed to control target pests, must be currently applied for most agrochemicals, with potential detrimental effects for environmental compartments. ...
The large-scale application of volatile and highly water-soluble pesticides to guarantee crop production can often have negative impacts on the environment. The main loss pathways are vapor drift, direct volatilization, or leaching of the active substances. Consequently, the pesticide can either accumulate and/or undergo physicochemical transformations in the soil. In this scenario, we synthesized alginate nanoparticles using an inverse miniemulsion template in sunflower oil and successfully used them to encapsulate a hydrophilic herbicide, i.e., dicamba. The formulation and process conditions were adjusted to obtain a unimodal size distribution of nanohydrogels of about 20 nm. The loading of the nanoparticles with dicamba did not affect the nanohydrogel size nor the particle stability. The release of dicamba from the nanohydrogels was also tested: the alginate nanoparticles promoted the sustained and prolonged release of dicamba over ten days, demonstrating the potential of our preparation method to be employed for field application. The encapsulation of hydrophilic compounds inside our alginate nanoparticles could enable a more efficient use of pesticides, minimizing losses and thus environmental spreading. The use of biocompatible materials (alginate, sunflower oil) also guarantees the absence of toxic additives in the formulation.
In this paper, we report on the design, production and in depth characterization of nanoformulations based on Kraft lignin for delivering neem oil and capsaicin as insect repellents. The procedure...
Endosulfan (ES) is an organochlorine insecticide that has been extensively used in agricultural production. Despite being banned globally, the production and illegal use of ES continue in certain countries, raising concerns about their impact on the environment and human health. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ES on the fertilization, hatching, and survival rate of the lemon fin barb hybrid (LFBH; Hypsibarbus wetmorei × Barbonymus schwanenfeldii) eggs and larvae. A pair of LFBH was used as the broodstock. The sperm and eggs harvested via the stripping method were mixed and exposed to different concentrations of ES (0 ppm, or control; 0.01 ppm, 0.1 ppm, or 1 ppm). The fertilization and hatching rates were evaluated in vitro at 3 and 18 hours post-exposure, respectively. The survival rate of the larvae was assessed at 24, 48, and 72 hours post-hatching. The fertilization and hatching rates of the LFBH eggs treated with 1 ppm ES (44.24±4.6% and 18.54±2.8%, respectively) were significantly lower (p<0.05) than the control (63.35±5.8% and 46.76±1.3%, respectively). The main effect of treatment and time on the survival rate of the larvae was significant (p < 0.019) within three days post-hatchlings, where the survival rate of larvae exposed to 1 ppm was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the control at every time interval. Overall, ES exposures displayed a detrimental effect on the early development and survival of the LFBH eggs and larvae.
Dichlorvos (DDVP) is an organophosphate insecticide that enhances food production and repels 25 disease vectors. However, it provokes cytotoxicity. 2S-hesperidin (2S-HES) is a potent 26 antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-lipidemic flavanone. Regardless, the 2S-HES impact on 27 DDVP-occupied hepatic injury remains fuzzy. We evaluated the therapeutic potential of 2S-HES 28 in a rat model of DDVP-elicited hepatic intoxication. Forty-two rats were randomly allotted to 29 seven groups (n=6/condition): control, DDVP (8 mg.kg⁻¹day⁻¹), DDVP with 2S-HES (50 and 30 100 mg.kg⁻¹day⁻¹), DDVP with atropine, and 2S-HES alone (50 and 100 mg.kg⁻¹day⁻¹). DDVP 31 was administered orally for 7 days, followed by 14 days of 2S-HES chemotherapy. 2S-HES 32 intervention partially mitigated DDVP-triggered alterations in leakage enzymes (ALT, AST, 33 ALP, LDH-5), total protein, albumin, globulin, bilirubin, electrolytes, ion-transporters, lipid 34 profiles, and HMG-CoA reductase. Furthermore, 2S-HES partially reversed DDVP-provoked 35 increases in hepatic H₂O₂, NO, and malondialdehyde; transposed DDVP-mediated decreased 36 liver GSH amount and activities of GST, SOD, catalase, and GPx; attenuated DDVP-triggered 37 upregulated NF-κB-p65 and caspase-3; and abated DDVP-engendered repressed interleukin-10 38 mRNA expression. Cytoarchitectural analyses authenticated the 2-HES reduction in DDVP-39 evoked hepatocellular vacuolation. Altogether, 2S-HES elicited promising alternative or 40 adjunctive therapy for partially mitigating DDVP-incited hepatic injury by attenuating leakage 41 enzymes, ionoregulatory disruptions, ion pump inhibition, dyslipidemias, oxidative stress, 42 inflammation, and apoptosis.
Although pesticide-free techniques have been developed in agriculture, pesticides are still routinely used against weeds, pests, and pathogens worldwide. These agrochemicals pollute the environment and can negatively impact human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Acetamiprid, an approved neonicotinoid pesticide in the EU, may exert sub-lethal effects on pollinators and other organisms. However, our knowledge on the scope and severity of such effects is still incomplete. Our experiments focused on the effects of the insecticide formulation Mospilan (active ingredient: 20% acetamiprid) on the peripheral olfactory detection of a synthetic floral blend and foraging behaviour of buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) workers. We found that the applied treatment did not affect the antennal detection of the floral blend; however, it induced alterations in their foraging behaviour. Pesticide-treated individuals started foraging later, and the probability of finding the floral blend was lower than that of the control bumblebees. However, exposed bumblebees found the scent source faster than the controls. These results suggest that acetamiprid-containing Mospilan may disrupt the activity and orientation of foraging bumblebees. We hypothesize that the observed effects of pesticide exposure on foraging behaviour could be mediated through neurophysiological and endocrine mechanisms. We propose that future investigations should clarify whether such sub-lethal effects can affect pollinators’ population dynamics and their ecosystem services.
BACKGROUND
Although microencapsulation technology is an effective pesticide formulation method, the correlation between the release properties of microcapsules and pesticide concentrations in soil and their efficacy has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, the effects of the release properties of the nematicide Fosthiazate (FTZ) from microcapsules on their efficacy against the nematode Meloidogyne incognita were examined using experimental and mathematical approaches.
RESULTS
Gradual release of FTZ from both polyurea microcapsules (PU‐MC) and melamine‐formaldehyde microcapsules (MF‐MC) was observed over 30 days in the release test, and each release curve was completely distinct. In the biological test, the efficacy of both microcapsules against M. incognita 42 days after the application was 8–15% higher than that of the non‐encapsulated FTZ at a concentration of 2.0 mg FTZ kg⁻¹ soil. Soil degradation experiments suggested that the microcapsules worked effectively to protect the FTZ from degradation, which resulted in higher efficacy at a later stage. A simulation study to predict the concentration of FTZ outside the microcapsule found that the timing of supplying FTZ was important and suggested that the mixture of non‐encapsulated FTZ (non‐MC) and MF‐MC showed enhanced efficiency for the entire cultivation period in the biological test; the efficacy against nematodes was also confirmed by the measurement of nematode density using the Bearman funnel method.
CONCLUSION
The release properties of FTZ from microcapsules are critical for their effective application against M. incognita, and the established simulation study is a useful step in designing suitable release properties under complex soil conditions. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
In this study, the separation conditions of UHPLC-QTOF-MS and the extraction conditions of QuEChERS were optimized. The analytical process for determining Broflanilide residues in different soil types was successfully established and applied to its adsorption, desorption, and leaching in soil. Broflanilide was extracted from soil with acetonitrile and purified using PSA and MgSO4. The modified UHPLC-QTOF-MS method was used for quantification. The average recovery of Broflanilide was between 87.7% and 94.38%, with the RSD lower than 7.6%. In the analysis of adsorption, desorption, and leaching quantities in four soil types, the RSD was less than 9.2%, showing good stability of the method, which can be applied to determine the residue of Broflanilide in different soils.
Pesticides, especially the newly developed neonicotinoids, are increasingly used in many countries around the world, including Cameroon, to control pests involved in crop destruction or disease transmission. Unfortunately, the pesticides also pose tremendous environmental problems because a predominant amount of their residues enter environmental matrices to affect other nontargeted species including humans. This therefore calls for continuous biomonitoring of these insecticides in human populations. The present study sought to assess the neonicotinoid insecticide exposures in two agrarian regions of Cameroon, the South‐West region and Littoral region. The study involved 188 men, including 125 farmers and 63 nonfarmers. Spot urine samples were obtained from these subjects and subjected to liquid chromatographic–tandem mass spectrometric analysis for concentrations of neonicotinoid compounds, including acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, nitenpyram, thiamethoxam, and N ‐dm‐acetamiprid. Neonicotinoid compounds were detected in all study participants, and residues of all the screened pesticides were detected among participants. N ‐dm‐Acetamiprid and imidacloprid were the most prevalent among the subjects (100.0% and 93.1%, respectively), whereas nitenpyram was less common (3.2%). The median values of imidacloprid and total urinary neonicotinoid concentrations were elevated among farmers (0.258 vs. 0.126 µg/L and 0.829 vs. 0.312 µg/L, respectively). Altogether the findings showed that both the farmer and nonfarmer study populations of Cameroon were exposed to multiple residues of neonicotinoids, with relatively higher levels of pesticides generally recorded among farmers. Although exposure levels of the neonicotinoids were generally lower than their respective reference doses, these results warrant further research on the health risk evaluation of multiple residues of the pesticides and reinforcement of control measures to minimize the exposure risks, especially among farmers. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1–13. © 2024 SETAC
The inefficient distribution of fertilizers, nutrients, and pesticides on crops is a major challenge in modern agriculture that leads to reduced productivity and environmental pollution. Nanoformulation of agrochemicals is an attractive approach to enable the selective delivery of agents into specific plant organs, their release in those tissues, and improve their efficiency. Already commercialized nanofertilizers utilize the physiochemical properties of metal nanoparticles such as size, charge, and the metal core to overcome biological barriers in plants to reach their target sites. Despite their wide application in human diseases, lipid nanoparticles are rarely used in agricultural applications and a systematic screening approach to identifying efficacious formulations has not been reported. Here, we developed a quantitative metal-encoded platform to determine the biodistribution of different lipid nanoparticles in plant tissues. In this platform lanthanide metal complexes were encapsulated into four types of lipid nanoparticles. Our approach was able to successfully quantify payload accumulation for all the lipid formulations across the roots, stem, and leaf of the plant. Lanthanide levels were 20- to 57-fold higher in the leaf and 100- to 10,000-fold higher in the stem for the nanoparticle encapsulated lanthanide complexes compared to the unencapsulated, free lanthanide complex. This system will facilitate the discovery of nanoparticles as delivery carriers for agrochemicals and plant tissue-targeting products.
Reclamation of pesticide-polluted lands has long been a difficult endeavour. The use of synthetic pesticides could not be restricted due to rising agricultural demand. Pesticide toxicity has become a pressing agronomic problem due to its adverse impact on agroecosystems, agricultural output, and consequently food security and safety. Among different techniques used for the reclamation of pesticide-polluted sites, microbial bioremediation is an eco-friendly approach, which focuses on the application of resilient plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that may transform or degrade chemical pesticides to innocuous forms. Such pesticide-resilient PGPR has demonstrated favourable effects on soil-plant systems, even in pesticide-contaminated environments, by degrading pesticides, providing macro-and micronutrients, and secreting active but variable secondary metabolites like-phytohormones, siderophores, ACC deaminase, etc. This review critically aims to advance mechanistic understanding related to the reduction of phytotoxicity of pesticides via the use of microbe-mediated remediation techniques leading to crop optimization in pesticide-stressed soils. The literature surveyed and data presented herein are extremely useful, offering agronomists-and crop protectionists microbes-assisted remedial strategies for affordably enhancing crop productivity in pesticide-stressed soils.
O livro, intitulado pelos seus organizadores Geografia: Território, Poder e Questões Socioambientais na Cidade e no Campo, reúne a contribuição científica de variados estudiosos renomados, tais contribuições evidenciam as práticas de poder e influência sobre territórios do campo e da cidade, bem como seus respectivos conflitos. O livro (re)afirma o papel da Ciência Geográfica no campo científico, trazendo uma contribuição significativa para reflexão, discussão e conscientização socioambiental por meio da categoria analítica Território. O rico debate realizado no Grupo de Trabalho do XI Encontro Científico Cultural (ENCCULT), em 2021, abriu caminho para publicação das diferentes discussões e reflexões proferidas nas mesas, materializando-se nessa belíssima obra.
Novel nanomaterial-based pesticide formulations are increasingly perceived as promising aids in the transition to more efficient agricultural production systems. The current understanding of potential unintended (eco)toxicological impacts of nano-formulated pesticides is scarce, in particular with regard to (non-target) aquatic organisms and ecosystems. The present study reports the results of a long-term freshwater mesocosm experiment which assessed responses of individual zooplankton taxa and communities to a novel TiO2-coated nano-formulation of the fungicide carbendazim. Population- and community trends were assessed and compared in response to the nano-formulation and its constituents applied individually (i.e. nano-sized TiO2, carbendazim) and in combination (i.e. nano-sized TiO2 & carbendazim). Minimal differences were observed between effects induced by the nano-formulation and its active ingredient (i.e. carbendazim) when applied at equivalent nominal test concentrations (4 μg L-1). Nano-sized TiO2 was found to affect zooplankton community trends when applied separately at environmentally realistic concentrations (20 μg L-1 nominal test concentration). However, when nano-sized TiO2 was applied in combination with carbendazim, nano-sized TiO2 was found not to alter effects on community trends induced by carbendazim. The findings of the current study provide an extensive and timely addition to the current body of work available on non-target impacts of nano-formulated pesticides.
Transient exposures to high or low concentrations of a single or mixture of pesticides are common in aquatic organisms. Routine toxicity tests disregard transient exposures and the influence of time when examining the toxicity of contaminants. This study investigated the haematological and biochemical responses of juvenile C. gariepinus and O. niloticus to pesticide pulse exposure using three exposure patterns. The patterns include 4-hour pulse exposure to a high pesticide concentration, then 28 days of depuration, continuous exposure to a low pesticide concentration for 28 days, and 4-hour pulse exposure to a high concentration followed by continuous exposure to a low pesticide concentration for 28 days. On days 1, 14, and 28, fish samples were collected for haematological and biochemical analysis. Results showed that red blood cell count, packed cell volume, haemoglobin, platelet count, total protein, and sodium ion decreased, while white blood cell count, total cholesterol, bilirubin, urea, and potassium ion increased in both fish species after pulse, continuous and pulse & continuous exposure to the pesticides (p < 0.05). However, pulse exposure to the pesticides did not significantly affect alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase activity, and creatinine levels. The changes in these biomarkers indicate that 4-hour pulse exposure to high concentration was as hazardous as 24-hour continuous exposure to low pesticide concentration (p > 0.05). The toxic effects of pulse exposure were largely reversible by day 14. Using C. gariepinus and O. niloticus, this study shows that brief exposure to high pesticide pesticides was as hazardous as continuous pesticide exposure.
India has witnessed shrinking agricultural fields in comparison to yield pressures; hence intensified usage of chemical pesticides was the only solution during Green Revolution. Thus, high concentration of chemicals in the form of fertilizers and pesticides has caused a serious imbalance in environment: toxicity, abiotic stress, decreasing soil fertility, etc. India is the largest manufacturer of generic agrochemicals in the world. Its pesticide market is growing at a substantial rate. Plant- and microorganism-based agriproducts show biocontrol and pesticidal activity, showcasing them as alternatives to replace chemicals from agriculture industry. Nano-formulations and nano-encapsulated agriproducts are new candidates showing enhanced efficacy and target specificity without harming soil fertility. These are nonhazardous and can be employed with integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. The controlled release of biodegradable nano-pesticides is another emerging area which can be exploited further for sustainable agriculture.
This chapter introduces to conventional agrochemicals that have played a remarkable role in modern agriculture. It starts by defining them as commercially produced, usually synthetic, chemical compounds used in farming and recalling their contribution to the increase in agricultural productivity since the middle of the 20th century. It then emphasizes fertilizers and pesticides as key types of conventional agrochemicals and presents their advantages and disadvantages, and benefits and risks connected with their use, including health and environmental problems. By the end of the chapter, future prospects for conventional agrochemicals are presented, as well as recommendations for minimizing hazards arising from their use.
Less than 0.1% of pesticides applied for pest control reach their target pests. Thus, more than 99.9% of pesticides used move into the environment where they adversely affect public health and beneficial biota, and contaminate soil, water, and the atmosphere of the ecosystem. Improved pesticide application technologies can improve pesticide use efficiency and protect public health and the environment.
Acute pesticide poisonings Boca Raton
- E D Richter
Acute pesticide poisonings
- E D Richter
- ED Richter