An assessment of agricultural pesticide use in Iran, 2012-2014

Zaim Morteza,Seyed Behzad Mousavi,Mohammad Ali Baghestani,Antero Aitio

doi:10.1186/s40201-017-0272-4

Abstract

BackgroundThis is the first published assessment on agricultural pesticide use in Iran with the aim to identify pesticide products with a potential of causing acute or chronic hazard to human health. It also establishes a baseline for future comparisons and for trend assessments.MethodsThe amounts of imported technical materials for formulation by local manufacturers as well as imported final product formulations were extracted from the registration data of the Plant Protection Organization of Iran in 2012–2014. The hazard indicators used were acute oral toxicity and chronic toxicity. For the latter, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and adverse effects on reproduction or development (CMR toxicity), and low Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) were used. The comparative potential of the active ingredients of concern in terms of chronic toxicity was assessed using the average annual volume of their estimated use divided by their respective ADI, called chronic hazard potential (CHP) in the present text. The contribution of individual pesticides in different use categories to the total CHP of the user category, was also calculated, using the average annual volume of the active ingredients of all pesticides used during the period 2012-2014.ResultsOn average about 14,000 tonnes of agriculture pesticides, expressed in active ingredients (AI), were annually used in Iran. Herbicides constituted the largest volume (43%), followed by insecticides and acaricides (37%) and fungicides (19%). 0.1% and 47% of the formulated products met the criteria of WHO Class Ib (highly hazardous) and Class II (moderately hazardous) products respectively. Aluminium phosphide and magnesium phosphide were identified as products of primary concern and chlorpyrifos, diazinon and paraquat as products of secondary concern, in terms of their acute human health hazard. No compound in carcinogenicity category 1A or 1B or germ cell mutagenicity/reproduction toxicity category 1A was identified. Six compounds (diazinon, chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, metam sodium, paraquat and dimethoate) were identified as products with chronic hazard potential based on a low ADI.ConclusionsThe assessment identified and prioritized agriculture pesticide used in Iran in terms of their acute and chronic hazard to human health for re-registration scheme recently established by PPO and for risk mitigation. It also set priority for research into development of alternative products and practices to minimize pesticide risks. Chronic hazard potential - amount of use adjusted with toxicity may serve as a useful point of reference for trend analysis also in the use of less hazardous agricultural pesticide products.

Highlights

This is the first published assessment on agricultural pesticide use in Iran with the aim to identify pesticide products with a potential of causing acute or chronic hazard to human health
The objectives of this study were: (i) to review the pesticide use in Iran during period 2012 to 2014 and the potential human health hazards involved; (ii) to rank pesticides based on their human health hazards for prioritizing risk assessment and product review and re-registration; (iii) to establish a baseline for future comparisons and trend assessments; and (iv) to set priority for research to minimize pesticide exposure and risk
The hazard indicators used were acute oral toxicity and chronic toxicity including carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, adverse effects on reproduction or development (CMR toxicity) and marked long-term toxicity expressed as a low Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)

Summary

Introduction

This is the first published assessment on agricultural pesticide use in Iran with the aim to identify pesticide products with a potential of causing acute or chronic hazard to human health. It establishes a baseline for future comparisons and for trend assessments. Of the total land area, some 90 million hectares (54.6%) are rangeland; 12.4 million hectares (7.5%) are forests; and 34 million hectares (20.6%) are deserts [1]. Cereals are grown on 70% of cultivated land (about 12 million hectares in 2014), with wheat - the country’s main staple - accounting for over half of total crop production [2]. Fruit trees were cultivated on about 2.2 million hectares with about 17 million tonnes of yield in 2014 [3]

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