Classification Of Pesticides Research Articles

Study on detection of pesticide residues in tobacco based on hyperspectral imaging technology.

Tobacco is a critical economic crop, yet its cultivation heavily relies on chemical pesticides, posing health risks to consumers, therefore, monitoring pesticide residues in tobacco is conducive to ensuring food safety. However, most current research on pesticide residue detection in tobacco relies on traditional chemical methods, which cannot meet the requirements for real-time and rapid detection. This study introduces an advanced method that combines hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology with machine learning algorithms. Firstly, a hyperspectral imager was used to obtain spectral data of tobacco samples, and a variety of spectral pre-processing technologies such as mean centralization (MC), trend correction (TC), and wavelet transform (WT), as well as feature extraction methods such as competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and least angle regression (LAR) were used to process the spectral data, and then, grid search algorithm (GSA) is used to optimize the support sector machine (SVM). The optimized MC-LAR-SVM model achieved a pesticide classification accuracy of 84.1%, which was 9.5% higher than the original data model. The accuracy of the WT-TC-CARS-GSA-SVM model in the fenvalerate concentration classification experiment was as high as 91.8 %, and it also had excellent performance in other metrics. Compared with the model based on the original data, the accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score are improved by 8.3 %, 8.2 %, 7.5 %, and 0.08, respectively. The results show that combining spectral preprocessing and feature extraction algorithms with machine learning models can significantly enhance the performance of pesticide residue detection models and provide robust, efficient, and accurate solutions for food safety monitoring. This study provides a new technical means for the detection of pesticide residues in tobacco, which is of great significance for improving the efficiency and accuracy of food safety detection.

A Scientific Review of Pesticides: Classification, Toxicity, Health Effects, Sustainability, and Environmental Impact.

Over the years, the useof pesticides has risen significantly, primarily to combat undesirable organisms that threaten crucial crops. A variety of pesticides are available, each designed to protect crops from specific threats like fungi, bacteria, and other pests. Other than crop protection, pesticides are also used in controlling insect vector-borne diseases like malaria and Lyme disease in humans.However, the application of these pesticides must be carefully measured and managed to prevent adverse effects on humans, non-target animals, and the environment. This reviewdelves into the detailed classification of pesticides, exploring their mechanisms of action, applications, benefits, and potential side effects. Understanding the different categories of pesticides, such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, and biopesticides, helps us comprehend how each function to control pests. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of pesticide use, including increased crop yields and the prevention of crop diseases, which contribute to food security and agricultural productivity. This review also addresses the significant concerns related to pesticide usage, such as the development of pest resistance, health risks to humans through exposure and residues in food, as well as the impact on biodiversity and ecosystems. The review emphasizes the importance of using pesticides responsibly and implementing integrated pest management strategies to mitigate this risk of exposure. By providing a comprehensive overview of pesticide classification, mechanisms of action, and implications, this review aims to inform and guide us to the safe and effective use of pesticides for daily agricultural practices.

Human relevance of in vivo and in vitro skin irritation tests for hazard classification of pesticides

Background: Test methods to inform hazard characterization and labeling of pesticides to protect human health are typically conducted using laboratory animals, and for skin irritation/corrosion the rabbit Draize test is currently required by many regulatory agencies. Although the Draize test is generally regarded to provide protective classifications for human health, new approach methodologies (NAMs) have been developed that offer more human relevant models that circumvent the uncertainty associated with species differences that exist between rabbits and humans. Despite wide applicability and use of these test methods across a broad range of chemicals, they have not been widely adopted for testing pesticides and pesticidal formulations. One of the barriers to adoption of these methods in this sector is low concordance with results from the Draize rabbit test, particularly for chemicals within the mild to moderate irritation spectrum. Methods: This review compares and contrasts the extent to which available models used in skin irritation testing mimic the anatomy and physiology of human skin, and how each aligns with the known key events leading to chemically-induced adverse skin irritation and corrosion. Doing so fully characterizes the human relevance of each method. Results: As alternatives to the rabbit Draize test, several protocols using ex vivo, in chemico, and in vitro skin models are available as internationally harmonized test guidelines. These methods rely on a variety of models of human skin, including excised rodent skin, synthetic biochemical models of barrier function, cell culture systems, and reconstructed human tissue models. We find these models exhibit biological and mechanistic relevance aligned with human skin irritation responses. Further, recent retrospective analyses have shown that the reproducibility of the Draize test is less than 50% for mild and moderate responses, with many of the replicate predictions spanning more than one category (e.g., a moderate response reported in one study followed by a non-irritant response reported in another study). Conclusions: Based on this comparative evaluation, we recommend top-down and bottom-up testing strategies that use the most human relevant in vitro test methods for skin irritation and corrosion classification of pesticides and pesticide formulations. To further discriminate among mild and non-irritant formulations, optimization of a cytokine release protocol and subsequent analyses of reference formulation test results is recommended.

Cypermethrin: An Emerging Pollutant and Its Adverse Effect on Fish Health and some Preventive Approach-A Review.

Pesticides are substance that are used to manage pests, such as aquatic weeds, plant diseases and insects. It has been shown that these substances are highly hazardous to fish as well as other organisms that are part of the food chain. The presence of cypermethrin in food and groundwater has raised environmental concerns, there is a need to develop economical, rapid, and reliable techniques that can be used for field applications Many studies have shown that Cypermethrin (CYP) can cause toxic effect in various animals including fishes. But the molecular mechanism behind the toxicity mediated Cypermethrin (CYP) at genome levels and proteome levels is still need to be studied. However, there is a gap in emerging and undeveloped nations to begin to use these methods and several other recently developed approaches to inhibit the negative consequences and enhance health which may be profitable. The toxicological information currently available might be used to gain a clear understanding of the possibilities of these synthetic pyrethroid insecticides causing various health hazards to environmental and provides insight for future research evaluating the toxic effects of pyrethroid insecticides. This present review article is concerned with the toxicological effects of pesticides and a brief overview of sources, classification of pesticides with an emphasis on the effects of Cypermethrin (CYP) on fish as well mode of toxicity and the mechanism of action (CYP) and toxicity signs in several fish species have been illustrated. The primary controls and appropriate preventive measures that must be adopted are also discussed.

Defined approaches to classify agrochemical formulations into EPA hazard categories developed using EpiOcularTM reconstructed human corneal epithelium and bovine corneal opacity and permeability assays

Many sectors have seen complete replacement of the in vivo rabbit eye test with reproducible and relevant in vitro and ex vivo methods to assess the eye corrosion/irritation potential of chemicals. However, the in vivo rabbit eye test remains the standard test used for agrochemical formulations in some countries. Therefore, two defined approaches (DAs) for assessing conventional agrochemical formulations were developed, using the EpiOcularTM Eye Irritation Test (EIT) [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) test guideline (TG) 492] and the Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability (OECD TG 437; BCOP) test with histopathology. Presented here are the results from testing 29 agrochemical formulations, which were evaluated against the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pesticide classification system, and assessed using orthogonal validation, rather than direct concordance analysis with the historical in vivo rabbit eye data. Scientific confidence was established by evaluating the methods and testing results using an established framework that considers fitness for purpose, human biological relevance, technical characterisation, data integrity and transparency, and independent review. The in vitro and ex vivo methods used in the DAs were demonstrated to be as or more fit for purpose, reliable and relevant than the in vivo rabbit eye test. Overall, there is high scientific confidence in the use of these DAs for assessing the eye corrosion/irritation potential of agrochemical formulations.

Taylor Remora optimization enabled deep learning algorithms for percentage of pesticide detection in grapes.

In the world, grapes are considered as the most significant fruit, and it comprises various nutrients, like Vitamin C and it is utilized to produce wines and raisins. The major six general grape leaf diseases and pests are brown spots, leaf blight, downy mildew, anthracnose, and black rot. However, the existing manual detection methods are time-consuming and require more efforts. In this paper, an effectual grape leaf disease finding and percentage of pesticide detection approach is devised usingan optimized deep learning scheme. Here, the input image is pre-processed and then, black spot segmentation is done using proposed Taylor Remora Optimization Procedure (TROA). The TROA is the combination of Taylor concept and Remora Optimization Algorithm (ROA). After that, the multi-classification of grape leaf disease is performed to classify the disease as Black rot, Black measles, Isariopsis leaf spot and healthy. Accordingly, the training process of the Deep Neuro-Fuzzy Optimizer (DNFN) is done using Sine Cosine Butterfly Optimization (SCBO). Then, pesticide classification is done using Deep Maxout Network (DMN) and the training of the DMN is done using the Monarch Anti Corona Optimization (MACO) algorithm. Finally, the pesticide percentage level detection is performed using Deep Belief Network (DBN), which is trained by the TROA. The devised scheme obtained highest accuracy of 0.9327, sensitivity of 0.9383, and 0.9429. Thus, this method can assist as an effectual decision provision system for assisting the farmers to find the percentage of pesticide affected in grape leaf diseases.

The effect of a new technical product of the chloroacetamide class on the parameters of acute oral toxicity and long-term effects on the body of rats

ntroduction. The ability of pesticides to circulate in environmental objects (water, air, soil) and their presence in agricultural products cause the possibility of their chronic adverse effects on a living organism.
 The aim of the study was to study the effect of a new technical product of the chloroacetamide class (TPH) on the parameters of acute oral toxicity (LD50) and long–term effects of action (embryotoxicity and teratogenicity), the establishment of a hazard class.
 Material and methods. In accordance with the set goal in the biological testing laboratory (vivarium) of the FSUE “FNTSG named after F.F. Studies were conducted on the effect of a new technical product of the chloroacetamide class on the parameters of acute oral toxicity (LD50) in male rats, embryotoxicity and teratogenicity in pregnant rats. Hazard classes are established according to the methodological recommendations (MP No. 1.2.0235–21). Previously, studies in this volume have not been conducted.
 Results. Results. It was found that the acute oral toxicity (LD50) of the studied compound is at the level of > 2000 mg/kg of body weight. According to the results of the long-term effect, it was revealed that the inactive dose (NOEL) for the mother was set at the level of 1/15 LD50 and NOEL for 1/5 LD50 fetuses (embryotoxicity, teratogenicity).
 Limitations related to the analysis of the results of experimental data on the study of long-term effects (embryotoxicity and teratogenicity) of the pesticide without taking into account the carcinogenic effect on the body of warm-blooded (rats) as a result of exposure to a new technical product of the chloroacetamide class.
 Conclusion. The studied technical product of the chloroacetamide class according to the hygienic classification of pesticides and agrochemicals by the degree of dangerity1 by acute oral toxicity (LD50) and by the long-term effects of action (embryotoxicity and teratogenicity) carried out on rodents (rats, males and females) refers to low-hazard compounds (hazard class 4).

Inactive doses of oxathiine derivative on long-term effects of the organism

Introduction. The study of the effects of the long-term effect of the active substances of pesticides on the body of warm-blooded animals is an obligatory stage 
 of their comprehensive toxicological and hygienic assessment.
 The aim of the study was to establish the levels of inactive doses of the effects of the long-term (NOEL) action of a compound of the oxatiine class.
 Materials and methods. In accordance with the planned purpose of the study in the biological testing laboratory of the Federal Scientific Center of Hygiene named after F.F. Erisman of the Federal Service for Supervision in Protection of the Rights of Consumer and Man Wellbeing еxperiments were conducted to establish the parameters of acute oral toxicity, the presence of possible teratogenic and embryotoxic effects, and the effect on the reproductive function 
 of a technical product of the oxatiin class (TPO) on the body of warm-blooded (rats). Previously, studies in this volume have not been conducted.
 Results. LD50 of the studied compound with a single oral administration to male rats is more than 4500 mg/kg of body weight. When studying the embryotoxic effect, the inactive dose for the maternal organism and offspring is set at the level of – 1/52 LD50; the inactive dose for the teratogenic effect for the maternal organism is 1/52 LD50, offspring – 1/27 LD50. As a result of studying the effect of the oxatiine derivative on the indicators of reproductive function, the inactive dose for maternal, paternal organisms, and offspring, is 1/313 LD50.
 Limitations. In our study to establish the levels of inactive doses of the long-term effects of toxicity of a technical product derived from oxatiines, there are no data on the results of the mutagenic effect of the studied compound on the body of warm-blooded (rats, mice).
 Conclusion. It has been established that according to the “Hygienic classification of pesticides and agrochemicals according to the degree of danger” (Methodological Recommendations of MP No. 1.2.0235-21* dated 02/15/2022), the studied chemical product belongs to the 4th hazard class for acute oral toxicity (LD50) and teratogenic effect (low-hazard compound; for embryotoxic effect and reproductive toxicity to the 3rd hazard class (moderately dangerous compound).

Comparative toxicological and hygienic assessment and combined action of modern fungicides based on azoxystrobin, pydiflumetofen, propiconazole

Annotation. The creation of combined pesticide formulations for the purpose of more effective protection of agricultural crops is a significant factor in the importance of assessing their synergistic effects. Substances that produce a similar pesticidal effect, in combination with each other, can enhance the toxic effect and, therefore, show dose additivity. The aim is toxicological and hygienic evaluation and determination of the type of combined action of pydiflumetofen, azoxystrobin and propiconazole – the active substances of the mixed formulations “Miravis Ace 275 SE” and “Miravis Neo 300 SE” according to toxicity indicators. Analytical review of scientific publications was carried out using data from EFSA, FAO, ECHA, PPDB, Internet sites. According to the literature, a comparative toxicological-hygienic evaluation of fungicidal preparations and their active substances was carried out. The general mechanism of fungicidal action was evaluated according to the classification developed by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC). The hazard class according to the toxic metric parameters of the substances under study was determined in accordance with the Hygienic classification of pesticides according to the degree of hazard (DSanPiN 8.8.1.002-98). The nature and type of combined action was carried out according to the Finney method with evaluation according to the criteria of acute toxicity. Systematization of data, their structuring for the purpose of further toxicological assessment of substances at the level of their inactive and threshold doses was carried out in the table editor Microsoft Excel 2019 (Microsoft Office 2019, Microsoft). As a result of the conducted research, the most toxic mixed fungicide “Miravis Neo 300 SE” based on three active substances was determined (the average lethal dose (LD50) is 550 mg/kg). It has been established that in cases of combinations of active substances to obtain a lethal effect, a dose of substances that does not exceed 100% in total is required, which indicates the strengthening (potentiation) of toxicity. It was pointed out that the share of propiconazole in the potentiation of the toxic effect in both mixed preparations is the highest compared to other active substances and is 0.87 for “Miravis Neo 300 SE” and 0.88 for “Miravis Ace 275 SE”. It was observed that the adverse effects of simultaneous exposure to several pesticides may change during the transition from acute to chronic exposure. Therefore, it is important to continue the research of the active substances of pesticides with the determination of limiting criteria for harmfulness, taking into account the remote effects of exposure. Thus, the toxicological and hygienic assessment made it possible to establish that the combined fungicides “Miravis Neo 300 SE” and “Miravis Ace 275 SE” are more toxic in the mode of single oral exposure in comparison with the single-component fungicide “Miravis 200 SC”. Increased toxicity (potentiation) can be considered as a consequence of the simultaneous exposure of several active substances. The active substance propiconazole poses the main danger of adverse effects on the body at the level of lethal doses. The obtained values of the potentiation coefficients will be taken into account in further studies of the risk assessment of complex and combined effects of pesticides on workers and their potential danger when entering the human body with food products.

Prediction of acute poisoning in agricultural workers during using pesticides on berry and melon crops

acute pesticide poisoning is a global health problem. According to the WHO, poisoningby chemicals, including chemical plant protection products, is a leading non-communicable disease.Violation of the rules for working with pesticides leads to the occurrence of occupational diseasesamong workers. Therefore, compliance with pesticide regulations and the use of personal protective
 equipment is a very important preventive measure. The purpose of our work: to predict the occur-rence of acute toxic effects in workers who treat berry and melon crops with pesticides. Research
 materials and methods: to assess the probability of acute toxic effects among workers who deal withactive substances and preparations based on them. We calculated three indicators: the coefficient of
 possible inhalation poisoning (DSanPiN 8.8.1.002-98), the selectivity of pesticides by inhalation pes-ticides and the selectivity of pesticides under dermal exposure according to the method of Sergeeva
 S.G. Results: according to the “Hygienic classification of pesticides by degree of danger” DSanPiN8.8.1.002-98 all tested active substances belong to the 4th class of danger according to the coefficientof possible inhalation poisoning, which was less than 0,5. The coefficient of selectivity of the actionof pesticides during inhalation exposure to active substances was in the range of 7,41 – 1000,0.
 For cyprodinil, phenhexamid, azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, copper chloride, pendimethalin, S-me-tolachlor, glyphosate, and abamectin, it was less than 100, indicating their relatively low selectivity
 of action. Other studied active substances had a high selectivity of action, since this coefficient was
 more than 100. It was established that all studied drugs have sufficient selectivity of action when in-haled. The coefficient of selectivity for dermal exposure was more than 100 for all the studied active
 substances, except for S-metolachlor and glyphosate. Preparations Trinol, VG, Signum, VG, RidomilGold R 161 WG, VG, Stomp Aqua, SK, Dual Gold 960 EC, KE, Herbolex v.r. have low selectivityof action when entering through the skin, all other pesticides have sufficient selectivity of action. Theobtained data indicate that all the active substances under study are not dangerous (hazard class 4),according to DSanPiN 8.8.1.002-98. Therefore, when working with these substances you need tofollow hygienic regulations.

The Review on Pesticides

Pesticides are the natural or synthetic agents designed to kill all types of pests. Pesticides are used in different fields like agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, food industry etc. Due to its gross use these pesticides threaten public health and ecosystem. Classification of pesticides done according to various criteria like its toxicity or hazardous effects, its use or purpose, its chemical composition, its mode of action, how or when it works, its formulations, its source of origin. By giving importance to public health, WHO has done classification of pesticides on the basis of hazardous effects With the comprehensive knowledge of classification of pesticides, gross use of pesticides can be minimized by using it judicially and it is helpful to public health & ecosystem.

Classification of pesticides and its damaging effects: a review.

Classification of pesticides and its damaging effects: a review.

Toxicological and hygienic requirements when working with pesticides in agriculture

Intensive use of pesticides in Russia puts forward the task of identifying ways to prevent their adverse effects on the health of workers. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the safety requirements when working with pesticides in agriculture from a toxicological and hygienic standpoint. An analytical study was performed. Research materials documents regulating the use of pesticides, scientific publications, data from own research. The safety of pesticides for those working with them is based on numerous toxicological and hygienic studies carried out at the stage of registration tests. According to the results of toxicological studies, including the establishment of toxicity parameters for acute inhalation, dermal and oral intake, subacute and chronic exposure, in accordance with the hygienic classification of pesticides by degree of danger, a hazard class is established, which determines the possibility, scale, technology of the use of pesticides on the territory of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the study of sensitizing effects, irritating effects on the skin and mucous membranes, as well as possible manifestations of long-term effects (teratogenic, embryotoxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic). The severity of carcinogenic and mutagenic effects determines the restriction of the use of pesticides, up to a complete ban. Hygienic regulation of the content of active substances of pesticides is carried out taking into account the hazard class and toxicity parameters. A prerequisite for the safe use of pesticides is the establishment of hygienic standards in almost all environments. The last stage of the study is an assessment of the risk to workers when using each pesticide in real conditions of agricultural production and regulation of use. Conclusion. Safety requirements for those working with pesticides when applied using various technologies in agricultural conditions are determined taking into account the hazard class of pesticides and the equipment used. The application of the method of assessing the risk of exposure to pesticides at the stage of registration tests guarantees the exclusion from circulation in Russia of drugs that pose a real danger to a working person. The minimum risk of exposure to pesticides on workers is ensured by compliance with all safety requirements and application regulations.

Actual problems of hygiene and toxicology of pesticides based on glyphosate

Introduction. For several decades, glyphosate has been one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, but the safety of glyphosate and its commercial formulations is still controversial. Materials and methods. The parameters of acute oral and dermal toxicity of glyphosate in rats have been established. An irritant effect on the skin and mucous membranes of the eyes (rats, rabbits), a sensitizing effect on guinea pigs were studied. To establish the degree of damaging effect on the body during its long-term administration, there was made a study of the chronic effect of glyphosate acid and specially prepared soybeans at doses of 0, 0.15, 20, 200, 2000 and 20,000 ppm. The toxic effect was judged by changes in integral, hematological, biochemical and physiological parameters. After 12 months from the beginning of the experiment, pathomorphological studies of animals of all groups were performed. There was performed a complete necropsy of the bodies of rats. Results. Based on the results of the studies, the parameters of toxicity and hazard class were established, according to the hygienic classification of pesticides and agrochemicals (MP 1.2.0235-21 dated February 15, 2021) of glyphosate acid when exposed to the body of warm-blooded animals. Limitations. When setting the parameters of glyphosate acid toxicometry, the intragroup number of rats was 6-8 animals, depending on the tasks being solved, which is a sufficient reference sample. Conclusion. Based on studies performed on laboratory animals, the maximum inactive level (NOEL) of glyphosate is confirmed to be 100 mg/kg body weight, which corresponds to 2000 mg/kg feed (ppm). The foregoing indicates that the dose of 2000 ppm is much higher than the MRLs of glyphosate in soy at the level of 20 ppm (100 times) and 0.15 ppm (more than l3,000 times). Thus, it can be concluded that the maximum allowable level of glyphosate in soy of 20.0 mg/kg does not have a harmful effect and does not represent a real risk to the population.

Pesticide Safety Awareness among Rural Farmers in Dadinkowa, Gombe State, Nigeria.

Because of the longer growing season and warmer climate, weeds and insect pests spread are on the rise, thereby increasing the demand for pesticide use and consequently harmful emissions that further exacerbate climate change. Unsafe occupational exposure to pesticide residue is associated with a lack of product knowledge and safety awareness among farmers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted for this study in which a face-to-face administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 285 respondents who were selected using convenient snowball sampling technique. Knowledge, awareness, and practices related to pesticide storage, handling, application, and containers disposal among the farmers were measured. Categorical variables were analysed and presented using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency count and percentage, while numeric items were summarized using mean and standard deviation. Dichlorvos and Perfekthion 2.5 EC listed in the WHO Group I pesticide classification were among the most frequently used pesticides. Symptoms of pesticide intoxication reported include headaches (56.1%), dizziness (56.5%), skin irritation (53.3%), and fatigue (45.6%), respectively. Farmers' behaviour during pesticide application include blowing clogged nozzle with mouth (42.7%), talking while spraying (59.8%), and mixing pesticide with bare hands (31.1%). Furthermore, 38.5% of them use pesticide containers for other domestic purposes. Socioeconomic factors, i.e., educational level, age, and years of farm practice, influenced farmers safety behaviour. Based on these findings, an approach that will help strengthen capacity building programmes and the enhancement of knowledge-based initiatives around the adoption of non-synthetic pest-control methods should be encouraged.

TOXICOLOGICAL AND HYGIENIC ASSESSMENT OF THE NEW ACTIVE INGREDIENT OF THE AVERSECTINS CLASS - MILBEMECTIN AND THE FORMULATION BASED ON IT MILBEKNOK 1%, CE

Relevance. The priorities of modern agricultural production are the application of new pesticides that are highly effective, safe for humans and do not have a negative impact on environmental objects. The most promising is the synthesis of substances from natural materials or their synthetic analogues (pesticides of biological origin). These include avermectin class substance – milbemectin.
 Objective of the work was the toxicological and hygienic evaluation of the new active ingredient of the aversectins class - milbemectin and the formulation based on it Milbeknok 1%, CE, substantiation of the acceptable daily dose (ADD) of milbemectin.
 Materials and methods. Expert-analytical, toxicological and hygienic methods, analysis of literature data were used during the research. The hygienic assessment of the toxicity of milbemectin and the formulation based on it was carried out in accordance with State Standard 8.8.1.002-98 “Hygienic classification of pesticides by degree of hazard”.
 Results. The analysis of the acute toxicity of the formulation and its active ingredient showed that Milbeknok 1%, CE, according to State Standard 8.8.1.002-98, belongs to the 3rd class of hazard, and milbemectin – to the 2nd class, according to the limiting criterion – acute inhalation toxicity.
 In short-term and long-term experiments with rats, mice and dogs, the main effect of milbemectin exposure was general toxicity and hepatotoxicity. According to carcinogenicity, reproductive and embryotoxicity, milbemectin is pertained to the 3rd class of hazard.
 Substantiating the ADD of milbemectin we used the smallest NO(A)EL value of 3 mg/kg, established for the general toxic effect in the experiment to study the chronic effect on dogs and safety factor of 1000 (taking into account the lack of a study of developmental neurotoxicity and limited data on reproductive toxicity of the compound): ADD = 3/1000 = 0.003 mg/kg.
 Conclusions. It was established that the Milbeknok 1%, CE pertains to the 3rd class, and its active substance - to the 2nd class of hazard, according to the limiting criterion – acute inhalation toxicity. The substantiated ADD value of milbemectin is 0.003 mg/kg.

Ecotoxicological assessment of the application of chemical products of plant protection against pests

Goal. To analyze the number of insecticides and acaricides during the cultivation of crops in Ukraine and in the central part of the Right Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine and to determine the degree of danger of their application.
 Methods. Analytical, economic and statistical, comparative analysis. The analysis of the amount of chemical plant protection products for 2018—2020 was conducted according to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Ecotoxicological assessment of 23 chemicals was performed using the Methodologies of the Institute of Plant Protection of NAAS of Ukraine according to the safety data sheet of the preparations and the properties of the active ingredient. The assessment of the level of potential danger of insecticides and acaricides was performed according to the integrated classification of pesticides according to the degree of danger of their application, taking into account indicators of pesticide toxicity (LD50) and their half-life (T50) in soil.
 Results. In 2018—2020, on average, 1,750.5 thousand kg/ year of chemical pesticides were used in Ukraine, including 279.1 thousand kg in the territory of the Central Forest Steppe. The most common in Ukraine are preparations based on active agent chlorpyrifos (743.0 thousand kg/ year), active agent dimethoate (95 thousand kg/ year) and active agent lambda-cyhalothrin (80.2 thousand kg/ year), which are stable in soil and according to the indicator of acute oral toxicity are classified as hazard classes 2 and 3. The most common acaricides against ticks are those based on active agent clofentezine and pyridaben (3.01 and 3.08 thousand kg/ year, respectively). It was found that insecticides Danadim Mix, EC (Dimetoat, 400 g/ l + Gamma-Cyhalothrin, 4 g/ l), Lamdex, mc.s. (Dimetoat, 400 g/ l + Gamma-Cyhalothrin, 4 g/ l), Rimon Fast, SC (Novaluron, 50 g/ l + Bifenthrin, 50 g/ l), Cezar e.c. (Bifenthrin, 100 g/ l), Shaman, EC (Chlorpyrifos, 500 g/ l + Cypermethrin, 50 g/ l) and acaricide Sunmite, m.p. (Pyridabem, 200 g/ kg) with LD50 55—160 mg/ kg. Most preparations are highly resistant chemical compounds with half-life (Т50) in soil 51-386 days. These are: Aktara 25WG, w.g. (Thiamethoxam, 250 g/ kg), Ampligo 150 ZC, FC (Chlorantraniliprole, 100 g/ l + Lambda-Cyhalothrin, 50 g/ l), Voliam Flexi 300 SC, e.c. (Thiamethoxam, 200 g/ l + Lambda-Cyhalothrin, 100 g/ l), Engio 247 SC, s.c. (Lambda-Cyhalothrin, 106 g/ l + Thiamethoxam, 141 g/ l), Coragen 20, s.c. (Chlorantraniliprole, 200 g/ l), Lamdex, mc.s. (Lambda-Cyhalothrin, 50 g/ l), Mavrik, BE (Tau-fluvalinate, 240 g/ l), Rimon Fast, SC (Novaluron, 50 g/ l + Bifenthrin, 50 g/ l), Cezar e.c. (Bifenthrin, 100 g/ l), Shaman e.c. (Chlorpyrifos, 500 g/ l + Cypermethrin, 50 g/ l), Apollo, s.c. (Clofentesin, 500 g/ l), Sunmite, m.p. (Pyridaben, 200 g/ кg). Conclusions. In Ukraine and in the Central Forest-Steppe the amounts of chemical plant protection products are considerable, which increases the emergence of environmental risks in agrophytocenosis. Most pesticides contain active agent with a high rate of acute oral toxicity and are classified as hazard class 2. According to the degree of danger level, preparations Decis Profi WG (Deltamethin, 250 g/ кg), Decis f-Lux 25 EC (Deltamethin, 25 g/ l), Kalipso 480 SC (Thiacloprid, 480 g/ l), Kormoran, EC (Novaluron, 100 g/ l + Acetamiprid, 80 g/ l), Proclaim 5 SG (Emamectin benzoane, 50 g/ кg), Rubizh, e.c. (Dimetoat, 400 g/ l) belong to low-hazardper (danger level 6—7). According to the combination of ecotoxicological and sanitary-hygienic indicators, dangerous pesticides (3 degree) include preparations Ampligo 150 ZC, FK (Chlorantraniliprole, 100 g/ l + Lambda-Cyhalothrin, 50 g/ l), Engio 247 SC, s.c. (Lambda-Cyhalothrin, 106 g/ l + Thiamethoxam, 141 g/ l) and Masai, s.p. (Tebufenpyrad, 200 g/ кg), very dangerous — (2 degree) — Lamdex, mc.s. (Lambda-Cyhalothrin, 50 g/ l), Rimon Fast, SC (Novaluron, 50 g/ l + Bifenthrin, 50 g/ l), Cezar e.c. (Bifenthrin, 100 g/ l) and Sunmite, m.p. (Pyridabem 200 g/ kg). These preparations are highly toxic and decompose in agrophytocenosis slowly, and therefore their use should be limited to reduce environmental risks.

Agro-ecological risk of pesticides application for protecting apple plantations in the conditions of Pre-Carpathian Province of the Carpathian mountains in Ukraine

It was found that the rate of detoxification of pesticides depends on their physicochemical properties and correlates with the polarity of the compounds. According to the magnitude of dipole moments, the studied pesticides are divided into three groups: nonpolar with µ from 0 to 2 Debye (D), low-polar with µ from 2 to 6 Debye and polar with µ more than 6 Debye. Non-polar pesticides are practically insoluble in water and their decay period in the ecosystem is longer than that of low-polar and polar pesticides. Peculiarities, speed and dynamics of pesticide detoxification in the apple orchard ecosystem have been studied. It was found that non-polar pesticides decompose at a rate of 0.07–0.12±0.05 parts per day, and low-polar pesticides — at a rate of 0.15–0.22±0.05 parts per day. On the tenth day after spraying, 0.05 to 1.24 mg/kg of the studied pesticides were detected in apple fruits and from 0.15 to 4.41 mg/kg in apple leaves. The classification of pesticides according to the degree of danger was carried out and it was found that the studied drugs have a degree of danger from 3 to 6. Pesticides with 3 degrees of danger are more dangerous to humans and biota and require more detailed regulation, regulation and control. The seasonal load of pesticides (H) for the intensive chemical system was 29.5 kg/ha, for the advanced system — 10.5 kg/ha and for the system of biological and chemical protection — 0.45 kg/ha. The weighted average hazard (Q) in the intensive chemical protection system was 5.0, for the advanced system — 4.9, and for the biological and chemical protection system — 6.8. It was found that the agroecotoxicological index for all protection systems was less than 1, all protection systems are not very dangerous and do not lead to ecosystem pollution. For the intensive system of chemical protection, this figure ranged from 0.24 to 0.49, for the advanced — from 0.014 to 0.025, and for the system of biological and chemical protection — from 6·10–5 to 8·10–5.

Optimization of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy measurements for direct and rapid screening of pesticides: A case study of spinach

Although diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) measurements can be collected rapidly and simultaneously, the resulting datasets are imbalanced and redundant due to the highly correlated spectral features collected on relatively few samples. Consequently, modelling these datasets using machine learning (ML) techniques is challenging and necessitates longer training times and more computational resources. Furthermore, models developed with such data are frequently prone to overfitting, resulting in promising but often non-reproducible results. We demonstrate the advantage of using an eigenvector decomposition principal component analysis (PCA) in reducing the dimensionality and data mining of DRS measurements in the short near-infrared region (750–900 nm). A total of 547 DRS measurements consisting of 151 wavelengths were acquired from spinach samples sprayed with two different pesticides and control samples. The measurements were later preprocessed with a Savitzky-Golay filter and multiplicative scatter analysis. After performing PCA on the preprocessed data, two principal components (PCs) that explained 77% of the cumulative variance and maximized the interclass variation were extracted and used as inputs to three ML models namely; artificial neural networks, support vector machine and random forest, to classify the samples. Re-sampling was used to tune the models and avoid overfitting. The performance of the models was compared using raw DRS data, pre-processed (PP) DRS data, and PCs data. The results show that pesticide classification using PCs data requires the least amount of training time (average 2.4 s) for all the models, and achieves 100% classification accuracy. In addition, it was observed that spectral data pre-processing improves accuracy and training time when compared to using raw spectral data. These findings are particularly encouraging since they demonstrate the possibility of developing rapid and accurate classification models for screening pesticide residues in fresh produce based on DRS measurements with minimal computational resources.

Pesticide use, agricultural outputs, and pesticide poisoning deaths in Japan

Objective Although pesticide poisonings occur worldwide, most high-income countries have not been severely affected. Japan is a key exception, with pesticide suicides becoming a major public health concern in the 1980s. We here report the epidemiology of lethal pesticide poisoning in Japan in relation to its pesticide regulation and agricultural output. Methods We obtained data on pesticide registration and sales from the Japan Plant Protection Association’s annual Pesticide Handbook, National Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Data on deaths due to pesticide poisoning and population were obtained from Vital Statistics of Japan. We reviewed the registration status and hazard classification of pesticides in Japan and analysed the relationships between the use/sales, pesticides fatalities, and agricultural output. Results Five hundred and twenty-nine pesticide active ingredients are currently registered in Japan, including four WHO hazard class IB organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. Paraquat was registered in 1962 as a liquid SL20 formulation. In 1986, restrictions were imposed on its sale/use and a 4.3% paraquat ion/4.1% diquat ion combination product registered by ICI. There were 221 pesticide poisoning fatalities in 2019, down from 2648 in 1986, a 92% reduction over 33 years. Self-poisoning was responsible for most pesticide deaths in both 1985 (2013/2476, 81.3%) and 2019 (146/221, 66.1%). Pesticide poisoning made up 8.6% of all suicides in 1985, down to 0.7% in 2019. Unintentional pesticide poisoning deaths also all fell by 83.8%, from 463 to 75. These reductions were associated with reduced sales of both OP/carbamate insecticides and paraquat/diquat but no apparent change in agricultural output across a broad range of crops. Conclusions Reduced use of highly hazardous pesticides and lowered concentration formulations in Japan were associated with major decreases in all deaths from pesticide poisoning and the proportion of all suicides due to pesticide ingestion.