Pesticide Adverse Effects Research Articles

Pesticide Use and Degradation Strategies: Food Safety, Challenges and Perspectives.

While recognizing the gaps in pesticide regulations that impact consumer safety, public health concerns associated with pesticide contamination of foods are pointed out. The strategies and research directions proposed to prevent and/or reduce pesticide adverse effects on human health and the environment are discussed. Special attention is paid to organophosphate pesticides, as widely applied insecticides in agriculture, veterinary practices, and urban areas. Biotic and abiotic strategies for organophosphate pesticide degradation are discussed from a food safety perspective, indicating associated challenges and potential for further improvements. As food systems are endangered globally by unprecedented challenges, there is an urgent need to globally harmonize pesticide regulations and improve methodologies in the area of food safety to protect human health.

Combined remediation effects of biochar and organic fertilizer on immobilization and dissipation of neonicotinoids in soils.

Neonicotinoid (NEO) pesticides have become a potential risk to ecological safety and human health after application. The combined use of biochar and organic fertilizer (OF) is a promising approach to reduce pesticide adverse effects and improve soil fertility in agricultural soils. However, the combined remediation effects of biochar and OF on immobilization and dissipation of NEOs in soils have not previously been systematically investigated. In this study, biochars derived from peanut shell prepared at low/high pyrolysis temperatures (PS400 and PS900) were combined with composted chicken manure (CCM) as an example for OF to remediate contaminated soils toward six typical NEOs, nitenpyram (NIT), thiamethoxam (THIA), clothianidin (CLO), imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), thiacloprid (THI). Results shown that both biochars and CCM were effective in improving soil sorption capacity and immobilization efficiency. The Freundlich affinity parameters (Kf) of NEOs in soils increased 7.2-12.0 times after the combined remediation of biochar and CCM, and the Kf of six NEOs had negative correlation with their lipophilicity (p<0.05), which followed by THI>ACE ≈ IMI>CLO>THIA>NIT. Meanwhile, NEOs-abiotic degradation was accelerated by biochar, CCM and their combined addition by adjusting soil pH and stimulating hydrolysis action. Biotic degradation was dominant in NEOs dissipation processes in amended soils, and the contribution ratios of biotic degradation (CRbio) were in the range of 25.4-99.0%. The combined use of biochar and CCM selectively stimulated the relative abundance of NEOs-degraders, which simplified abiotic degradation of -NO2-containing NEOs (viz., NIT, THIA, CLO, and IMI), but inhibited -C≡N-containing NEOs (viz., ACE and THI). The combined remediation provided a strategy for immobilizing NEOs and facilitating dissipation of -NO2-containing NEOs in soils. The results in this study provide valuable information for policymakers and decision-makers to choose appropriate soil remediation approaches with respect to the NEO types.

Predicting farmers' intention to use PPE for prevent pesticide adverse effects: An examination of the Health Belief Model (HBM)

Long-term use of pesticides has been associated with wide range of chronic diseases, and personal protective equipment (PPE) can reduce health consequences of pesticide exposure. This study used the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a framework in predicting farmers' intention to use a series of PPE (face mask, goggles, gloves, protective clothing and rubber boots) for prevent pesticide adverse effects. Questionnaire including 33 measures of variables which was guided by the HBM were distributed in May 2019 among a random sample of 387 rice farmers from Sari county in Mazandaran province of Iran. The relation between HBM measures and the farmers' confirmation of the intention to use a series of PPE for prevents pesticide-related health problems was investigated. The majority of the farmers (56.33%) agreed that they would use a series of PPE in their future pesticide handling. The results show that the factors positively affecting farmers' intention to use a series of PPE were three HBM components: higher levels of perceived severity of pesticide adverse effects, cues to action and perceived PPE benefits. Further perceived PPE barriers has significant, negative effects on farmers’ intention. The overall pattern of results revealed that the HBM components of perceived benefits, particularly PPE effectiveness in reducing exposure to pesticide adverse effects and perceived barriers particularly PPE uncomfortableness and unpleasantness for field work were found to be important predictors of farmers' intention. These results imply that extension and training programs which focus on severity of pesticide adverse effect and the perceived benefits and perceived barriers of PPE will have a better effect on increasing the rate of preventive behavior among farmers.

Cardiotoxicity and myocardial infarction-associated DNA damage induced by thiamethoxam in vitro and in vivo: Protective role of Trigonella foenum-graecum seed-derived polysaccharide.

The risk of pesticides on the human health and environment has drawn increasing attention. Today, new tools are developed to reduce pesticide adverse effects. This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity induced by, thiamethoxam (TMX), and the cytoprotective effect of a novel polysaccharide, named fenugreek seed water polysaccharide (FWEP) in vitro using H9c2 cardiomyoblastes and in vivo using Wistar rat model. Animals were assigned into four groups per eight rats each: group 1 served as a control group, group 2 received TMX, group 3, and group 4 received both FWEP and TMX tested at two doses (100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively). Regarding the in vitro study, our results demonstrated that TMX induced a decrease in H9c2 cell viability up to 70% with the highest concentration. In vivo, TMX injection induced marked heart damage noted by a significant increase in plasma lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase, troponin-T, aspartate amino transferase activities, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Concomitant alterations in cardiac antioxidant defense system revealed depletion in the levels of glutathione and non-protein thiol and an increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Similarly, a significant increase in heart lipid, malondialdehyde, advanced oxidation protein product and in protein carbonyls levels was also noted. In addition, heart tissues histo-architecture displayed major presence of apoptosis and necrosis as confirmed by DNA degradation. However, supplementation with FWEP alleviated heart oxidative damage and genotoxicity. In this manner, ABTS radical-scavenging activity, linoleic acid oxidation tests and heart genomic and DNA nicking assay had proved FWEP strong antioxidant potential. In conclusion, FWEP provided significant protection against TMX-induced heart injury, and could be a useful and efficient agent against cardiotoxicity and atherosclerosis.

Biochars change the sorption and degradation of thiacloprid in soil: Insights into chemical and biological mechanisms.

One interest of using biochar as soil amendment is to reduce pesticide adverse effects. In this paper, the sorption and degradation of thiacloprid (THI) in a black soil amended by various biochars were systematically investigated, and the mechanisms therein were explored by analyzing the changes in soil physicochemical properties, degrading enzymes and genes and microorganism community. Biochar amendment increased THI sorption in soil, which was associated with an increase in organic carbon and surface area and a decrease in H/C. Amendments of 300-PT (pyrolyzing temperature) biochar promoted the biodegradation of THI by increasing the microbe abundance and improving nitrile hydratase (NHase) activity. In contrast, 500- and 700-PT biochar amendments inhibited biodegradation by reducing THI availability and changing NHase activity and THI-degradative nth gene abundance, and instead promoted chemical degradation mainly through elevated pH, active groups on mineral surface and generation of •OH and other free radicals. Furthermore, THI shifted the soil microbial community, stimulated the NHase activity and elevated nth gene abundance. Biochar amendments also changed soil bacterial community by modulating soil pH, dissolved organic matter and nitrogen and phosphorus levels, which further influenced THI biodegradation. Therefore, the impact of biochars on the fate of a pesticide in soil depends greatly on their type and properties, which should be comprehensively examined when applying biochar to soil.

Trends in long term exposure to propoxur and pyrethroids in young children in the Philippines

Background/aimPesticides are neurotoxic and can adversely affect children′s neurobehavioral outcome. Ongoing pesticide exposure has to be monitored in the study of long term outcome of pesticide adverse effects since changes in the type and amount of exposure can influence outcome. The aim of this paper is to describe the trend in long term pesticide exposure in children through the analysis of pesticides in their hair. Patients and methodsAs part of an NIH study on the long term effects of pesticide exposure in young children, ongoing exposure to pesticides was determined by the analysis of children′s hair for propoxur and pyrethroids by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry at 2, 4 and 6 years of age. ResultsThere were significant changes in the prevalence and concentration of propoxur and pyrethroids in children′s hair at 2, 4 and 6 years of age. At ages 2 and 4 years, the prevalence of propoxur exposure increased from 12.4% to 24.1% (p<0.001) but dramatically decreased to 1.7% at 6 years (p<0.001). For bioallethrin, the prevalence of exposure steadily increased from 2 years (0.7%, p<0.001) to 4 years (12.4%, p<0.001) and to 6 years (18.4% p<0.001). Exposure to transfluthrin significantly increased from 4 years (1.0%) to 6 years (9.2%, p<0.001).There were also significantly higher median concentrations of bioallethrin at 2 compared to 4 years and for propoxur at 2 years compared to 6 years. Between 4 and 6 years, there was a higher median concentration of propoxur at 4 compared to 6 years and for transfluthrin and bioallethrin, at 6 compared to 4 years. ConclusionChanges in the prevalence and concentration of exposure to propoxur and pyrethroids in children at 2, 4 and 6 years of age are related to the progress in ambulation of young children and to changes in the formulation of home spray pesticides. Thus, periodic monitoring of pesticide exposure is necessary when studying the long term effects of pesticide exposure in the neurodevelopment of young children.