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Biosensors Mar 2018The intensive use of toxic and remanent pesticides in agriculture has prompted research into novel performant, yet cost-effective and fast analytical tools to control... (Review)
Review
The intensive use of toxic and remanent pesticides in agriculture has prompted research into novel performant, yet cost-effective and fast analytical tools to control the pesticide residue levels in the environment and food. In this context, biosensors based on enzyme inhibition have been proposed as adequate analytical devices with the added advantage of using the toxicity of pesticides for detection purposes, being more "biologically relevant" than standard chromatographic methods. This review proposes an overview of recent advances in the development of biosensors exploiting the inhibition of cholinesterases, photosynthetic system II, alkaline phosphatase, cytochrome P450A1, peroxidase, tyrosinase, laccase, urease, and aldehyde dehydrogenase. While various strategies have been employed to detect pesticides from different classes (organophosphates, carbamates, dithiocarbamates, triazines, phenylureas, diazines, or phenols), the number of practical applications and the variety of environmental and food samples tested remains limited. Recent advances focus on enhancing the sensitivity and selectivity by using nanomaterials in the sensor assembly and novel mutant enzymes in array-type sensor formats in combination with chemometric methods for data analysis. The progress in the development of solar cells enriched the possibilities for efficient wiring of photosynthetic enzymes on different surfaces, opening new avenues for development of biosensors for photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides.
Topics: Biosensing Techniques; Environmental Monitoring; Pesticides
PubMed: 29565810
DOI: 10.3390/bios8020027 -
Reviews of Environmental Contamination... 2021The lure of increased productivity and crop yield has caused the imprudent use of pesticides in great quantity that has unfavorably affected environmental health.... (Review)
Review
The lure of increased productivity and crop yield has caused the imprudent use of pesticides in great quantity that has unfavorably affected environmental health. Pesticides are chemicals intended for avoiding, eliminating, and mitigating any pests that affect the crop. Lack of awareness, improper management, and negligent disposal of pesticide containers have led to the permeation of pesticide residues into the food chain and other environmental pathways, leading to environmental degradation. Sufficient steps must be undertaken at various levels to monitor and ensure judicious use of pesticides. Development of prediction models for optimum use of pesticides, pesticide management, and their impact would be of great help in monitoring and controlling the ill effects of excessive use of pesticides. This paper aims to present an exhaustive review of the prediction models developed and modeling strategies used to optimize the use of pesticides.
Topics: Pesticide Residues; Pesticides
PubMed: 33932184
DOI: 10.1007/398_2020_64 -
Critical Reviews in Toxicology Apr 2023When registering a new pesticide, 90-day oral toxicity studies performed with both rodent and non-rodent species, typically rats and dogs, are part of a standard battery... (Review)
Review
When registering a new pesticide, 90-day oral toxicity studies performed with both rodent and non-rodent species, typically rats and dogs, are part of a standard battery of animal tests required in most countries for human health risk assessment (RA). This analysis set out to determine the need for the 90-day dog study in RA by reviewing data from 195 pesticides evaluated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) from 1998 through 2021. The dog study was used in RA for only 42 pesticides, mostly to set the point of departure (POD) for shorter-term non-dietary pesticide exposures. Dog no-observed-adverse-effect-levels (NOAELs) were lower than rat NOAELs in 90-day studies for 36 of the above 42 pesticides, suggesting that the dog was the more sensitive species. However, lower NOAELs may not necessarily correspond to greater sensitivity as factors such as dose spacing and/or allometric scaling need to be considered. Normalizing doses between rats and dogs explained the lower NOAELs in 22/36 pesticides, indicating that in those cases the dog was not more sensitive, and the comparable rat study could have been used instead for RA. For five of the remaining pesticides, other studies of appropriate duration besides the 90-day rat study were available that would have offered a similar level of protection if used to set PODs. In only nine cases could no alternative be found in the pesticide's database to use in place of the 90-day dog study for setting safe exposure levels or to identify unique hazards. The present analysis demonstrates that for most pesticide risk determinations the 90-day dog study provided no benefit beyond the rat or other available data.
Topics: United States; Rats; Dogs; Humans; Animals; Pesticides; Toxicity Tests; No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; Risk Assessment; United States Environmental Protection Agency
PubMed: 37401640
DOI: 10.1080/10408444.2023.2221987 -
Current Opinion in Biotechnology Jun 2015The use of pesticides in agricultural and urban environments has improved quality of life around the world. However, the resulting accumulation of pesticide residues in... (Review)
Review
The use of pesticides in agricultural and urban environments has improved quality of life around the world. However, the resulting accumulation of pesticide residues in fresh water resources has negative effects on aquatic ecosystem and human health. Bioremediation has been proposed as an environmentally sound alternative for the remediation of pesticide-contaminated water resources, though full-scale implementation has thus far been limited. One major challenge that has impeded progress is the occurrence of pesticides at low concentrations. Recent research has improved our fundamental understanding of pesticide biodegradation processes occurring at low concentrations under a variety of environmental scenarios and is expected to contribute to the development of applied bioremediation strategies for pesticide-contaminated water resources.
Topics: Biodegradation, Environmental; Ecosystem; Humans; Pesticides; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Resources
PubMed: 25765521
DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2015.02.012 -
Reviews of Environmental Contamination... 2019Sulfur dioxide (SO) is an atmospheric pollutant that is moderately persistent in the atmosphere and highly water soluble. When applied as a pesticide, SO may be... (Review)
Review
Sulfur dioxide (SO) is an atmospheric pollutant that is moderately persistent in the atmosphere and highly water soluble. When applied as a pesticide, SO may be transported, deposited, or transformed in various chemical reactions. SO participates in the sulfur biogeochemical cycle, which involves complex reactions of sulfur-containing compounds between abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems. The main degradation route of SO is atmospheric oxidation, and sulfur oxides may undergo long-distance transport prior to removal from the atmosphere by wet or dry deposition. According to the Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) database maintained by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), SO use in California from 2010 to 2015 was primarily for fumigations (96%), including treatments of postharvest grape products and winery equipment sterilizations. Other site uses contributed less than 5% of reported statewide SO use from 2010 to 2015. A slight increasing trend in use of SO as a pesticide was observed from 2010 to 2015, with the highest reported uses of SO within California counties during the months of July-November. Although the primary sources of SO in the environment are anthropogenic emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, emissions of SO from pesticide uses have the potential to contribute to the environmental and public welfare impacts of SO pollution. Oxidation of atmospheric SO may contribute to the negative environmental and public welfare impacts of acid rain, which include toxicity to aquatic organisms, fish, and terrestrial vegetation, and corrosion of man-made materials.
Topics: California; Corrosion; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants; Pesticides; Plants; Sulfur Dioxide
PubMed: 29526018
DOI: 10.1007/398_2018_11 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Aug 2023Inefficient usage, overdose, and post-application losses of conventional pesticides have resulted in severe ecological and environmental issues, such as pesticide... (Review)
Review
Inefficient usage, overdose, and post-application losses of conventional pesticides have resulted in severe ecological and environmental issues, such as pesticide resistance, environmental contamination, and soil degradation. Advances in nano-based smart formulations are promising novel methods to decrease the hazardous impacts of pesticide on the environment. In light of the lack of a systematic and critical summary of these aspects, this work has been structured to critically assess the roles and specific mechanisms of smart nanoformulations (NFs) in mitigating the adverse impacts of pesticide on the environment, along with an evaluation of their final environmental fate, safety, and application prospects. Our study provides a novel perspective for a better understanding of the potential functions of smart NFs in reducing environmental pollution. Additionally, this study offers meaningful information for the safe and effective use of these nanoproducts in field applications in the near future.
Topics: Pesticides; Agriculture; Soil; Environmental Pollution; Drug Compounding
PubMed: 37210783
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131599 -
Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England... Oct 2020The large-scale use of pesticides such as organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) has led to serious environmental problems worldwide, and... (Review)
Review
The large-scale use of pesticides such as organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) has led to serious environmental problems worldwide, and their high toxicity could cause serious damage to human health. It is crucial to remove and track them precisely in the environment and food resources. As novel nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted significant attention in the fields of adsorption and luminescence sensing due to their rich topology, tunable pore size and shape, high surface area, and abundant active sites. Luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) have sprung up as great potential chemical sensors to detect pesticides with fast response, high sensitivity, high selectivity and easy operation. Therefore, in this highlight, we focus on recent progress of MOFs in sensing and adsorbing pesticides, as well as in the possible mechanism of sensing, so as to attract more attention to pesticide detection and adsorption.
Topics: Adsorption; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical; Metal-Organic Frameworks; Pesticides
PubMed: 33030153
DOI: 10.1039/d0dt02623a -
Environmental Science & Technology May 2023Contamination of the environment by pesticide residues is a growing concern given their widespread presence in the environment and their effects on ecosystems. Only a...
Contamination of the environment by pesticide residues is a growing concern given their widespread presence in the environment and their effects on ecosystems. Only a few studies have addressed the occurrence of pesticides in soils, and their results highlighted the need for further research on the persistence and risks induced by those substances. We monitored 111 pesticide residues (48 fungicides, 36 herbicides, 25 insecticides and/or acaricides, and two safeners) in 47 soils sampled across France under various land uses (arable lands, vineyards, orchards, forests, grasslands, and brownfields). Pesticides were found in 98% of the sites (46 of the 47 sampled), including untreated areas such as organic fields, forests, grasslands, and brownfields, with up to 33 different substances detected in one sample, mostly fungicides and herbicides. The concentrations of herbicides were the highest in soils with glyphosate, and its transformation product, AMPA, contributed 70% of the cumulative herbicides. Risk assessment underlined a moderate to high risk for earthworms in arable soils mostly attributed to insecticides and/or acaricides. Finally, the comparison with pesticide application by farmers underlines the presence of some residues long after their supposed 90% degradation and at concentrations higher than predicted environmental concentrations, leading to questions their real persistence in soils.
Topics: Pesticide Residues; Soil; Insecticides; Agriculture; Fungicides, Industrial; Acaricides; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Soil Pollutants; Pesticides; Herbicides
PubMed: 37172312
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09591 -
The Science of the Total Environment Mar 2024Bees carry out vital ecosystem services by pollinating both wild and economically important crop plants. However, while performing this function, bee pollinators may... (Review)
Review
Bees carry out vital ecosystem services by pollinating both wild and economically important crop plants. However, while performing this function, bee pollinators may encounter potentially harmful xenobiotics in the environment such as pesticides (fungicides, herbicides and insecticides). Understanding the key factors that influence the toxicological outcomes of bee exposure to these chemicals, in isolation or combination, is essential to safeguard their health and the ecosystem services they provide. In this regard, recent work using toxicogenomic and phylogenetic approaches has begun to identify, at the molecular level, key determinants of pesticide sensitivity in bee pollinators. These include detoxification systems that convert pesticides to less toxic forms and key residues in insecticide target-sites that underlie species-specific insecticide selectivity. Here we review this emerging body of research and summarise the state of knowledge of the molecular determinants of pesticide sensitivity in bee pollinators. We identify gaps in our knowledge for future research and examine how an understanding of the genetic basis of bee sensitivity to pesticides can be leveraged to, a) predict and avoid negative bee-pesticide interactions and facilitate the future development of pest-selective bee-safe insecticides, and b) inform traditional effect assessment approaches in bee pesticide risk assessment and address issues of ecotoxicological concern.
Topics: Bees; Animals; Pesticides; Insecticides; Phylogeny; Ecosystem; Fungicides, Industrial
PubMed: 38246392
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170174 -
Biosensors Mar 2023The excessive and unreasonable use of pesticides has adversely affected the environment and human health. The soil, one of the most critical natural resources supporting... (Review)
Review
The excessive and unreasonable use of pesticides has adversely affected the environment and human health. The soil, one of the most critical natural resources supporting human survival and development, accumulates large amounts of pesticide residues. Compared to traditional spectrophotometry analytical methods, nanoparticle-based sensors stand out for their simplicity of operation as well as their high sensitivity and low detection limits. In this review, we focus primarily on the functions that various nanoparticles have and how they can be used to detect various pesticide residues in soil. A detailed discussion was conducted on the properties of nanoparticles, including their color changeability, Raman enhancement, fluorescence enhancement and quenching, and catalysis. We have also systematically reviewed the methodology for detecting insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides in soil by using nanoparticles.
Topics: Humans; Pesticide Residues; Soil; Pesticides; Insecticides; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 37185490
DOI: 10.3390/bios13040415