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Environment International Oct 2020Assessment and management of issues related to pesticide residues, such as environmental fate, monitoring and toxicity, are complex and, in many cases, require costly...
Assessment and management of issues related to pesticide residues, such as environmental fate, monitoring and toxicity, are complex and, in many cases, require costly studies. The early establishment of a priority list of pesticides that should be monitored and assigned to a restricted-use policy is an important issue of post-registration Risk Assessment (RA). Various pesticide registration approaches have been adopted by different countries with those from Europe and the USA being the most popular, constituting the major prototypes for registration approaches in other countries. Adoption of pesticide registration and monitoring systems developed in Europe or USA by Latin American and Caribbean countries may underestimate factors affecting the environmental fate and toxicity of pesticides in their own countries. Incentive for this short review was the activities undertaken during the three KNOWPEC workshops held in Costa Rica, Argentina and Bolivia where European pesticide experts met Latin American experience in the form of Costa Rica's exceptional environmental conditions and ecology, Argentina's and Uruguay's soyisation and Bolivia's contrasting climate and agricultural zones. During the parallel activities of the workshop - including scientific presentations, field trips, interviews and meetings among European partners and pesticide stakeholders in Latin America, - the whole pesticide chain (import-export, trade, application, plant protection-efficacy, residues, monitoring, remediation and risk) was studied and clarified. Recently-published chemical prioritization studies were reviewed to consider their use as a tool to support risk assessments. Differences in regional practices are highlighted as regards to the establishment of RA or prioritization strategy in European and Latin American regimes. General guidance of establishing a cost-effective pesticide monitoring scheme in water bodies of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is also proposed. Moreover, we summarize the most important factors that should be taken into consideration for prioritization approaches and categorization used in pesticide environmental monitoring studies. Consideration of current RA approaches and limitations, and pesticide prioritization exercises highlighted in this Commentary could assist in the management of pesticides in Latin America and Caribbean.
Topics: Argentina; Caribbean Region; Environmental Monitoring; Europe; Latin America; Pesticides
PubMed: 32619916
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105917 -
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 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Aug 2022Due to the frequent pesticide applications, bees are suffered from pesticide exposure risks via consumption and direct contact with sprayed drifts. However, if...
Due to the frequent pesticide applications, bees are suffered from pesticide exposure risks via consumption and direct contact with sprayed drifts. However, if pesticides are misused and the potential exposure risk to bees based on realistic pesticide application data are still little reported. In this study, pesticide application patterns in wheat-maize rotation system, vegetable and apple producing areas, was studied by interviewing farmers in Quzhou County, the North China Plain. The pesticide use status was evaluated by the recommended and actual applied dose and risk quotient (RQ) based Bee-REX model was used to assess the exposure risks of pesticide to bees based on the collected pesticide application data. The results showed that over half (52 %) of farmers in selected sites misused pesticides and orchard owners were frequently misused pesticides. Positive correlations were found between pesticide usage performance and farmers' specialized training experience. Pesticides applied in orchards have caused higher exposure risks to bees with the mean of RQs exceed 120 and 1880 via acute contact and dietary routes, respectively. Pesticide misuse significantly elevates the exposure risk to bees that the mean RQ under misuse scenarios was 5.8 times than that of correct use. Abamectin, fipronil and neonicotinoids contributed most to the pesticide exposure risk to bees. The main findings of this study imply that more sustainable pest and pollinator management strategies, including the moratorium high-risk insecticides and providing diverse flower resources and habitats, are highly needed. Additionally, measures such as implementing farmer educating and training programs should also be put on the agenda.
Topics: Animals; Bees; China; Farmers; Humans; Insecticides; Neonicotinoids; Pesticides
PubMed: 35667311
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113713 -
F1000Research 2021Obesity is a serious condition because it is associated with other chronic diseases which affect the quality of life. In addition to problems associated with diet...
Obesity is a serious condition because it is associated with other chronic diseases which affect the quality of life. In addition to problems associated with diet and exercise, recent research has found that pesticide exposure might be another important risk factor. The objective of this study was to determine the association between pesticide exposure and obesity among farmers in Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok province, Thailand. This study was a population-based cross-sectional study. Data on pesticide use and obesity prevalence from 20,295 farmers aged 20 years and older were collected using an in-person interview questionnaire. The association was analysed using multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for its potential confounding factors. Obesity was found to be associated with pesticide use in the past. The risk of obesity was significantly predicted by types of pesticides, including insecticides (OR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.00-4.38), herbicides (OR = 4.56, 95% CI 1.11-18.62), fungicides (OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.34-3.36), rodenticides (OR = 2.55, 95% CI 1.61-4.05), and molluscicides (OR = 3.40, 95% CI 2.15-5.40). Among 35 surveyed individual pesticides, 22 were significantly associated with higher obesity prevalence (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.10-2.88 to OR = 8.30, 95% CI 2.54-27.19), including herbicide butachlor, 15 insecticides (two carbamate insecticides, five organochlorine insecticides, and eight organophosphate insecticides), and six fungicides. This study found obesity in farmers in Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok province, Thailand, to be associated with the long-term use of several types of pesticides. The issue should receive more public attention, and pesticide use should be strictly controlled.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Farmers; Fungicides, Industrial; Humans; Insecticides; Obesity; Occupational Exposure; Pesticides; Quality of Life; Thailand
PubMed: 35646323
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.53261.3 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022There are many organochlorine pollutants in the environment, which can be directly or indirectly exposed to by mothers, and as estrogen endocrine disruptors can cause... (Review)
Review
There are many organochlorine pollutants in the environment, which can be directly or indirectly exposed to by mothers, and as estrogen endocrine disruptors can cause damage to the lactation capacity of the mammary gland. In addition, because breast milk contains a lot of nutrients, it is the most important food source for new-born babies. If mothers are exposed to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), the lipophilic organochlorine contaminants can accumulate in breast milk fat and be passed to the infant through breast milk. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate organochlorine contaminants in human milk to estimate the health risks of these contaminants to breastfed infants. In addition, toxic substances in the mother can also be passed to the fetus through the placenta, which is also something we need to pay attention to. This article introduces several types of OCPs, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), methoxychlor (MXC), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), endosulfan, chlordane, heptachlorand and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mainly expounds their effects on women's lactation ability and infant health, and provides reference for maternal and infant health. In addition, some measures and methods for the control of organochlorine pollutants are also described here.
Topics: Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; Infant; Milk, Human; Pesticide Residues; Pesticides; Pregnancy
PubMed: 35757428
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.890307 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2019The decline in populations of insect pollinators is a global concern. While multiple factors are implicated, there is uncertainty surrounding the contribution of certain... (Review)
Review
The decline in populations of insect pollinators is a global concern. While multiple factors are implicated, there is uncertainty surrounding the contribution of certain groups of pesticides to losses in wild and managed bees. Nanotechnology-based pesticides (NBPs) are formulations based on multiple particle sizes and types. By packaging active ingredients in engineered particles, NBPs offer many benefits and novel functions, but may also exhibit different properties in the environment when compared with older pesticide formulations. These new properties raise questions about the environmental disposition and fate of NBPs and their exposure to pollinators. Pollinators such as honey bees have evolved structural adaptations to collect pollen, but also inadvertently gather other types of environmental particles which may accumulate in hive materials. Knowledge of the interaction between pollinators, NBPs, and other types of particles is needed to better understand their exposure to pesticides, and essential for characterizing risk from diverse environmental contaminants. The present review discusses the properties, benefits and types of nanotechnology-based pesticides, the propensity of bees to collect such particles and potential impacts on bee pollinators.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Humans; Nanotechnology; Pesticides; Pollen; Pollination
PubMed: 31817417
DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244458 -
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 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2021In recent years, new targets have been included between the health outcomes induced by pesticide exposure. The gastrointestinal tract is a key physical and biological... (Review)
Review
In recent years, new targets have been included between the health outcomes induced by pesticide exposure. The gastrointestinal tract is a key physical and biological barrier and it represents a primary site of exposure to toxic agents. Recently, the intestinal microbiota has emerged as a notable factor regulating pesticides' toxicity. However, the specific mechanisms related to this interaction are not well known. In this review, we discuss the influence of pesticide exposure on the gut microbiota, discussing the factors influencing gut microbial diversity, and we summarize the updated literature. In conclusion, more studies are needed to clarify the host-microbial relationship concerning pesticide exposure and to define new prevention interventions, such as the identification of biomarkers of mucosal barrier function.
Topics: Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Gastrointestinal Tract; Microbiota; Pesticides
PubMed: 34063879
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115510 -
Journal of Exposure Science &... Sep 2023The USDA's Pesticide Data Program (PDP) celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021 and is one of the world's largest monitoring programs for pesticide residues. The PDP... (Review)
Review
The USDA's Pesticide Data Program (PDP) celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021 and is one of the world's largest monitoring programs for pesticide residues. The PDP database contains over 42 million data points for a pesticide paired to a commodity that have resulted from the analysis of nearly 310,000 food samples of 126 different commodities. Over the decades of the program, sampling methods and infrastructure, major milestones, developments, and accomplishments have unfolded. Comparisons of data for four commodities that were in the program early on illustrate that over time pesticide residues on foods change, particularly when new pesticides are registered, and updated data, such as those provided by PDP, are key for exposure and risk assessment.
Topics: Humans; Pesticides; Pesticide Residues; Vegetables; Fruit; Food Contamination
PubMed: 36310320
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00482-1 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Feb 2023This paper reviews the impact of beer-making stages (malting, mashing, boiling, and fermentation) on the behavior of pesticide residues. The large use of pesticides on... (Review)
Review
This paper reviews the impact of beer-making stages (malting, mashing, boiling, and fermentation) on the behavior of pesticide residues. The large use of pesticides on barley and hop could cause the occurrence of their residues in beer. The foremost factors influencing the stability of residues (pH, temperature, and water content) and the physical-chemical properties of pesticides (octanol-water partition coefficient, vapor pressure, and water solubility) are essential to know their final fate. Most pesticides show a decrease in the unhopped wort because they are adsorbed onto the spent grains after mashing. In addition, their concentrations decrease during boiling and fermentation. Generally, maltsters should dedicate particular attention to the residues of hydrophobic pesticides because they can remain on the malt. Contrarily, brewers should control residues of hydrophilic pesticides because they can be carried over into young beer, disturbing the quality and organoleptic properties (flavor, aroma, taste, or color) of the beer.
Topics: Pesticide Residues; Beer; Pesticides; Sensation; Water; Hordeum; Fermentation
PubMed: 36651341
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07830