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International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2021On the African continent, ongoing agriculture intensification is accompanied by the increasing use of pesticides, associated with environmental and public health... (Review)
Review
On the African continent, ongoing agriculture intensification is accompanied by the increasing use of pesticides, associated with environmental and public health concerns. Using a systematic literature review, we aimed to map current geographical research hotspots and gaps around environmental and public health risks research of agriculture pesticides in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies were included that collected primary data on past and current-used agricultural pesticides and assessed their environmental occurrence, related knowledge, attitude and practice, human exposure, and environmental or public health risks between 2006 and 2021. We identified 391 articles covering 469 study sites in 37 countries in SSA. Five geographical research hotspots were identified: two in South Africa, two in East Africa, and one in West Africa. Despite its ban for agricultural use, organochlorine was the most studied pesticide group (60%; 86% of studies included DDT). Current-used pesticides in agriculture were studied in 54% of the study sites (including insecticides (92%), herbicides (44%), and fungicides (35%)). Environmental samples were collected in 67% of the studies (e.g., water, aquatic species, sediment, agricultural produce, and air). In 38% of the studies, human subjects were investigated. Only few studies had a longitudinal design or assessed pesticide's environmental risks; human biomarkers; dose-response in human subjects, including children and women; and interventions to reduce pesticide exposure. We established a research database that can help stakeholders to address research gaps, foster research collaboration between environmental and health dimensions, and work towards sustainable and safe agriculture systems in SSA.
Topics: Agriculture; Child; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Insecticides; Longitudinal Studies; Pesticides; South Africa
PubMed: 35010520
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010259 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2020Pesticides pose a significant risk to humans and the environment. This paper analyzes the measures used to manage pesticides in Malawi. Malawi's regulatory authority of... (Review)
Review
Pesticides pose a significant risk to humans and the environment. This paper analyzes the measures used to manage pesticides in Malawi. Malawi's regulatory authority of pesticides, the Pesticides Control Board (PCB), faces a number of challenges including lack of facilities for analyzing pesticides and inadequate personnel to conduct risk assessment of pesticides. The PCB needs to provide access to information and opportunities among the public to make contributions regarding requirements, processes and policies for assessing pesticide risk and efficacy. There is also a need to enhance the capacity of PCB to assess pesticide poisoning in workers, monitor pesticide residues in food and environmental contamination, as well as to control the illegal importation and sale of pesticides. Just like in other countries such as South Africa, India and Sri Lanka, Malawi urgently needs to implement measures that can restrict the importation, production, sale and use of very toxic pesticides. Malawi also needs to develop measures for the effective management of pesticide waste containers as well as obsolete pesticides, where potential solutions include reducing the purchase of (unneeded) pesticides, treatment of obsolete pesticides in high-temperature cement kilns, as well as requesting pesticide dealers to adopt life-cycle management of their products.
Topics: Commerce; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Malawi; Pesticides
PubMed: 32942751
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186727 -
Neurotoxicology Dec 2022Previous epidemiological studies have reported associations of pesticide exposure with poor cognitive function and behavioral problems. However, these findings have...
BACKGROUND
Previous epidemiological studies have reported associations of pesticide exposure with poor cognitive function and behavioral problems. However, these findings have relied primarily on neuropsychological assessments. Questions remain about the neurobiological effects of pesticide exposure, specifically where in the brain pesticides exert their effects and whether compensatory mechanisms in the brain may have masked pesticide-related associations in studies that relied purely on neuropsychological measures.
METHODS
We conducted a functional neuroimaging study in 48 farmworkers from Zarcero County, Costa Rica, in 2016. We measured concentrations of 13 insecticide, fungicide, or herbicide metabolites or parent compounds in urine samples collected during two study visits (approximately 3-5 weeks apart). We assessed cortical brain activation in the prefrontal cortex during tasks of working memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We estimated associations of pesticide exposure with cortical brain activation using multivariable linear regression models adjusted for age and education level.
RESULTS
We found that higher concentrations of insecticide metabolites were associated with reduced activation in the prefrontal cortex during a working memory task. For example, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy; a metabolite of the organophosphate chlorpyrifos) was associated with reduced activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (β = -2.3; 95% CI: -3.9, -0.7 per two-fold increase in TCPy). Similarly, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA; a metabolite of pyrethroid insecticides) was associated with bilateral reduced activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (β = -3.1; 95% CI: -5.0, -1.2 and -2.3; 95% CI: -4.5, -0.2 per two-fold increase in 3-PBA for left and right cortices, respectively). These associations were similar, though weaker, for the attention and cognitive flexibility tasks. We observed null associations of fungicide and herbicide biomarker concentrations with cortical brain activation during the three tasks that were administered.
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides may impact cortical brain activation in the prefrontal cortex - neural dynamics that could potentially underlie previously reported associations with cognitive and behavioral function. Furthermore, our study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of fNIRS in epidemiological field studies.
Topics: Humans; Pesticides; Insecticides; Farmers; Fungicides, Industrial; Costa Rica; Chlorpyrifos; Pyrethrins; Brain; Herbicides
PubMed: 36228750
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.10.004 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Sep 2021Sustainable agriculture practices and integrated pest management for avoiding environmental pollution are necessary to maintain a high yield in vineyard areas. Pesticide...
Sustainable agriculture practices and integrated pest management for avoiding environmental pollution are necessary to maintain a high yield in vineyard areas. Pesticide residues in groundwater in a vineyard area of La Rioja (Spain) have been evaluated in previous years, and they could now have varied after farmers have adopted the different measures recommended. Accordingly, this research's objectives were (i) to evaluate the occurrence and seasonal distribution (spring, summer, and autumn samplings) of pesticides (36) plus their degradation products (DP) (11) in water and soil samples (23 + 15) in La Rioja (Northern Spain), and (ii) to compare the current water quality (2019) with that determined previously (2011). A multi-residue method based on solid phase extraction (for water samples) or solid liquid extraction (for soil samples) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was used to determine and quantify pesticides. The results reveal the presence in waters of 30 compounds from those selected (15 fungicides + 2 DP, 7 insecticides + 1 DP, and 3 herbicides +2 DP), with 14 of them at concentrations > 0.1 μg L (water quality threshold for human consumption). The highest number of compounds was detected in summer (waters) and spring (soils). The pesticides most frequently detected in water samples were the fungicides metalaxyl, tebuconazole, and boscalid, with the last one being the compound found in the highest number of soil samples. The comparison of water pollution in 2011 and 2019 indicates a significant decrease in the total concentration of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides in 95-100%, 76-90%, and 42-85% of samples in the three campaigns, respectively. The results indicate that an optimized and sustainable use of pesticides in intensive and high-yield agricultural areas could reduce environmental pollution.
Topics: Agriculture; Environmental Monitoring; Farms; Humans; Pesticide Residues; Pesticides; Soil; Spain; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 34090253
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117463 -
Environmental Health Perspectives Aug 2022Many pesticide products are mixtures of multiple chemicals. These include active ingredients intended to kill pests, and so-called inert ingredients intended to improve...
BACKGROUND
Many pesticide products are mixtures of multiple chemicals. These include active ingredients intended to kill pests, and so-called inert ingredients intended to improve the physical characteristics of the product. In addition, shortly before applying a pesticide product, applicators often mix adjuvants into the sprayer tank. Adjuvants are products designed to improve the performance or physical properties of a pesticide spray mixture. Manufacturers may use a particular chemical compound both as an inert ingredient within pesticide products and as a component of adjuvant products. Nonetheless, regulations dictate that data on use are publicly available only for the portion used in adjuvants. Adjuvants are exempt from federal registration, but are defined as pesticides in California. Based on that definition, California has identified -hydroxypoly(oxyethylene) (APNOHO) as the most widely used pesticide in the state, applied to more than acres annually. That quantified use includes only agricultural acres treated with adjuvants containing APNOHO. Total APNOHO use is likely higher because manufacturers also use the chemical as an inert ingredient within pesticide products, although data on such use are shielded by regulation.
OBJECTIVES
We use APNOHO as a case study to demonstrate that the use of adjuvants and inert ingredients is difficult to track because relevant information is not publicly available. We synthesize information that suggests widespread agricultural use of alkylphenol ethoxylates, such as APNOHO, may pose significant human and environmental health risks. We then make recommendations for future research and policy.
METHODS
We used information from California's pesticide use reporting system and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to estimate use of APNOHO. We used U.S. EPA and European databases, as well as published research, to identify human and environmental health hazards of APNOHO. We focused on research showing that APNOHO is an endocrine-disrupting chemical.
DISCUSSION
Within California, APNOHO is applied in more than 150 adjuvant products. Nationwide, it is used as an inert ingredient in at least 650 pesticide products. Exposure to APNOHO is associated with endocrine disruption, birth defects, and aquatic toxicity. We suggest that the case of APNOHO illustrates the larger problem of a lack of publicly available data on use and toxicity of many adjuvants and pesticide inert ingredients. We recommend that researchers and regulators include adjuvants and inert ingredients when evaluating pesticide hazards, including endocrine disruption. We also recommend regulatory requirements to identify all ingredients on product labels. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10634.
Topics: Agriculture; California; Environmental Health; Humans; Pesticides; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency
PubMed: 35920661
DOI: 10.1289/EHP10634 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2021Excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers has been a key issue limiting sustainable agricultural development. China is a typical pesticide- and...
Excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers has been a key issue limiting sustainable agricultural development. China is a typical pesticide- and chemical-fertiliser-dependent agricultural production area. We have matched the target indicators related to sustainable agricultural development (SDG1 and SDG2) and analysed the gap between China and four developed countries in terms of fertiliser and pesticide use intensity and efficiency from 2002 to 2016. We have used an improved Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index model and cluster analysis to identify the factors and effects driving increased pesticide and fertiliser inputs in China, and we discuss the exploratory effects of different provinces in reducing pesticide and fertiliser application and increasing efficiency. The findings reveal that (1) China is a typical pesticide- and fertiliser-dependent agricultural production area. The average combined fertiliser application efficiency in China from 2002 to 2016 was only 28% of that of the Netherlands, and the country's average combined pesticide application efficiency was only 35% of that of the USA. (2) The most important of the three main drivers of the increase in pesticide and fertiliser inputs in China is the value added of the primary industry, contributing 56% for the period 2007-2016. (3) Further analysis at the provincial level according to four types-high-intensity high-yield type, high-intensity low-yield type, low-intensity high-yield type, and low-intensity low-yield type-clarified the provinces that should be focused on at the national level in terms of pesticide and fertiliser application reduction and efficiency increase in the future.
Topics: Agriculture; China; Fertilizers; Netherlands; Pesticides
PubMed: 33916603
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073771 -
World Journal of Microbiology &... Oct 2022Pesticides application on agricultural fields results in pesticides being released into the environment, reaching soil, surface water and groundwater. Pesticides fate... (Review)
Review
Pesticides application on agricultural fields results in pesticides being released into the environment, reaching soil, surface water and groundwater. Pesticides fate and transformation in the environment depend on environmental conditions as well as physical, chemical and biological degradation processes. Monitoring pesticides biodegradation in the environment is challenging, considering that traditional indicators, such as changes in pesticides concentration or identification of pesticide metabolites, are not suitable for many pesticides in anaerobic environments. Furthermore, those indicators cannot distinguish between biotic and abiotic pesticide degradation processes. For that reason, the use of molecular tools is important to monitor pesticide biodegradation-related genes or microorganisms in the environment. The development of targeted molecular (e.g., qPCR) tools, although laborious, allowed biodegradation monitoring by targeting the presence and expression of known catabolic genes of popular pesticides. Explorative molecular tools (i.e., metagenomics & metatranscriptomics), while requiring extensive data analysis, proved to have potential for screening the biodegradation potential and activity of more than one compound at the time. The application of molecular tools developed in laboratory and validated under controlled environments, face challenges when applied in the field due to the heterogeneity in pesticides distribution as well as natural environmental differences. However, for monitoring pesticides biodegradation in the field, the use of molecular tools combined with metadata is an important tool for understanding fate and transformation of the different pesticides present in the environment.
Topics: Pesticides; Soil; Water; Biodegradation, Environmental; Groundwater
PubMed: 36261779
DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03426-x -
Chemical Research in Toxicology May 2021Pesticides are widely used in the agricultural Central Valley region of California. Historically, this has included organophosphates (OPs), organochlorines (OCs), and...
Pesticides are widely used in the agricultural Central Valley region of California. Historically, this has included organophosphates (OPs), organochlorines (OCs), and pyrethroids (PYRs). This study aimed to identify perturbations of the serum metabolome in response to each class of pesticide and mutual associations between groups of metabolites and multiple pesticides. We conducted high-resolution metabolomic profiling of serum samples from 176 older adults living in the California Central Valley using liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry. We estimated chronic pesticide exposure (from 1974 to year of blood draw) to OPs, OCs, and PYRs from ambient sources at homes and workplaces with a geographic information system (GIS)-based model. Based on partial least-squares regression and pathway enrichment analysis, we identified metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with one or multiple pesticide classes, including mitochondrial energy metabolism, fatty acid and lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Utilizing an integrative network approach, we found that the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway is a common pathway shared across all three pesticide classes. The disruptions of the serum metabolome suggested that chronic pesticide exposure might result in oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions, and mitochondrial dysfunction, all of which have been previously implicated in a wide variety of diseases. Overall, our findings provided a comprehensive view of the molecular mechanisms of chronic pesticide toxicity, and, for the first time, our approach informs exposome research by moving from macrolevel population exposures to microlevel biologic responses.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological Monitoring; California; Environmental Exposure; Female; Humans; Male; Metabolomics; Middle Aged; Pesticides
PubMed: 33913694
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00523 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Feb 2023Projected water temperature increases based on predicted climate change scenarios and concomitant pesticide exposure raises concern about the responses of aquatic...
Projected water temperature increases based on predicted climate change scenarios and concomitant pesticide exposure raises concern about the responses of aquatic organisms. To better understand the effect of pesticide mixtures and influence of water temperature to fish, juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were dietarily exposed to a mixture of legacy and current use pesticides (p,p'-DDE, bifenthrin, chlorpyrifos, esfenvalerate, and fipronil) at concentrations detected from field-collected prey items in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California (Delta) and exposed under current and predicted future water temperature scenarios, 11, 14, or 17 °C, for 14 days. The expression of a subset of genes (deiodinase 2-dio2, gonadotropin releasing hormone 2-gnrh2, and catechol-o-methyltransferase-comt) involved in neuroendocrine, dopaminergic, and olfactory function previously shown to be altered by individual pesticide exposures germane to this study were determined and olfactory function assessed using a Y-maze behavioral assay. When total body burdens of pesticides were measured, a significant decrease in dio2 expression was observed in Chinook salmon exposed at 14 °C compared to fish kept at 11 °C. Increases in gnrh2 expression were also observed in fish exposed to 14 °C. Similarly, increases in comt expression was noted at 14 and 17 °C. Additionally, altered expression of all transcripts was observed, showing interactions between temperature and individual pesticide concentrations. Chinook salmon spent significantly more time actively avoiding the odorant arm at baseline conditions of 11 °C in the Y-maze. At higher temperatures, Chinook spent significantly more time not making a choice between the odorant or clean arm following exposure to the low pesticide mixture, relative to 11 °C. These results suggest that dietary exposure to pesticide mixtures can potentially induce neuroendocrine effects and behavior. Impaired olfactory responses exhibited by Chinook salmon could have implications for predator avoidance in the wild under increased temperature scenarios and impact populations in the future.
Topics: Animals; Pesticides; Salmon; Temperature; Catechol O-Methyltransferase; Dietary Exposure
PubMed: 36572271
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120938 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2022Pesticides are among the most important contaminants worldwide due to their wide use, persistence, and toxicity. Their presence in soils is not only important from an... (Review)
Review
Pesticides are among the most important contaminants worldwide due to their wide use, persistence, and toxicity. Their presence in soils is not only important from an environmental point of view, but also for food safety issues, since such residues can migrate from soils to food. However, soils are extremely complex matrices, which present a challenge to any analytical chemist, since the extraction of a wide range of compounds with diverse physicochemical properties, such as pesticides, at trace levels is not an easy task. In this context, the QuEChERS method (standing for quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) has become one of the most green and sustainable alternatives in this field due to its inherent advantages, such as fast sample preparation, the minimal use of hazardous reagents and solvents, simplicity, and low cost. This review is aimed at providing a critical revision of the most relevant modifications of the QuEChERS method (including the extraction and clean-up steps of the method) for pesticide-residue analysis in soils.
Topics: Pesticide Residues; Pesticides; Soil; Solvents
PubMed: 35807567
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134323