A novel purification strategy based on functionalized melamine sponge for determining multiple pesticides in complex-matrix American Ginseng.

ABSTRACT : Although pesticide treatments are commonly used to protect breadseed poppy plants against diseases, insects, and weeds, the knowledge on an occurrence of pesticide residue in this crop and the associated dietary exposure to these contaminants remains limited. Of the 404 pesticides that were analyzed, 50 different pesticides were detected in quantifiable concentrations in poppy seeds during the five-year monitoring study. The most frequently detected pesticide residues included fungicides (prothioconazole-desthio, tebuconazole, azoxystrobin and fluopyram) and insecticides (acetamiprid, pirimiphos-methyl and thiacloprid). A decrease in several pesticide findings (e.g., chlorpyrifos-methyl, cyproconazole, and thiacloprid) was noted due to the EU's decision to withdraw them. Of the 530 samples analyzed, only 66 (i.e., 13%) of them were free of quantifiable residues. Due to the high number of samples (121 samples) that exceeded the maximum residue levels established in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, this food commodity should be included in pesticide residue monitoring programs. The acute and chronic risk assessments indicate that the potential dietary intake of pesticide residues from poppy seeds is below the health-based guidance values (i.e., ARfD and ADI). The results of this study highlight the need for an understanding of the relationship between Czech poppy seed production practices and food safety standards. • Pesticide treatments are common practice in breadseed poppy cultivation. • Poppy seed samples were found to contain residues of 50 different pesticides. • Fungicides and insecticides were the most frequently detected pesticide residues. • Presence of pesticide residues in poppy seeds is an important EU legislative issue.

Advancing safe and value-added Hydrilla verticillata silage: multi-omics deciphering of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum mediated pesticide detoxification and antibiotic resistance genes attenuation based on AI-autonomous learning.

Effects and mechanisms of three regulators in enhancing quality and removing toxins and pesticides during wheat straw vermicomposting.

Conventional remediation strategies implicitly assume that efficient pollutant removal equates to effective health-risk mitigation; however, growing epidemiological and microbiome evidence challenges this assumption, particularly for pesticide exposure. Accumulating studies demonstrate that pesticide residues and their transformation products can disrupt gut microbial homeostasis and metabolic regulation, indicating that removal efficiency alone is insufficient to evaluate remediation success. Against this backdrop, this review advances a risk-oriented paradigm for pesticide remediation by redefining metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) from high-performance adsorbents or photocatalysts into exposure-modulating materials bridging environmental decontamination with human health protection. We summarize recent progress in MOF design for pesticide adsorption and photocatalytic degradation, emphasizing structure-function relationships governing molecular recognition, pore confinement, surface chemistry and degradation-pathway control. Beyond performance metrics, this work examines how MOF-enabled adsorption and photocatalysis shape transformation-product profiles determining biological perturbation potential. Evidence linking pesticide exposure to gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic disorders underscores the health relevance of pathway-selective remediation. Finally, we outline future directions toward health-relevant remediation, advocating a shift from pollutant-centric efficiency metrics to risk relevant endpoints considering exposure profiles and biological disruption. By coupling programmable molecular selectivity with pathway-controlled degradation, MOFs emerge as enabling platforms for next-generation remediation strategies advancing environmental sustainability and human health protection. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Getting Pesticides Off Fruits and Veggies: Using more than water to wash produce can clean pesticide residues.

Pesticide residues pose a major threat to ecosystems and human health, creating an urgent need for sensitive, rapid, and affordable detection technologies. Electrochemical sensing has gained prominence owing to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and high analytical efficiency. This study aims to develop a sustainable electrochemical sensor based on a polyaniline-vanadium pentoxide (PANI-V₂O₅) nanocomposite for detection of the insecticide emamectin benzoate (EmBz). The work focuses on fabricating the nanocomposite, characterizing its structural and thermal properties, and evaluating its electrochemical and sensing performance. PANI-V₂O₅ nanocomposites were synthesized via oxidative polymerization and characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry, confirming well-defined crystallinity, chemical bonding, and thermal stability. Electrochemical testing using cyclic voltammetry revealed two distinct redox peak pairs, indicating excellent reversibility and enhanced electroactivity. Galvanostatic charge/discharge analysis yielded a specific capacitance of 119.53 F/g, an energy density of 26.83 F/g V2, and a power density of 243.91 F/g V2/h, demonstrating a high charge storage capability. Differential pulse voltammetry showed clear responses to varying EmBz concentrations, enabling quantitative detection. The fabricated sensor had a limit of detection of 9.6 × 10-5 and a limit of quantification of 2.9 × 10-3, confirming its ability to detect EmBz at low levels. The PANI-V₂O₅-based sensor exhibits high electroactive performance, excellent capacitance, and strong analytical sensitivity toward EmBz. These findings highlight its potential as a reliable and sustainable platform for monitoring pesticide contaminants, contributing to improved environmental safety and analytical sensor development. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chronic chlorpyrifos exposure induced depression and anxiety by gut microbiota alterations combined with metabolic disorders of ammonia and quinolinate.

Pesticide residues in wheat and rice are of particular concern due to the widespread consumption of these staple foods and the associated potential health risks. This study examines how various processing steps, such as washing, soaking, cooking, and drying, affect pesticide residue levels in bulgur wheat (bulgur, processed wheat) and cooked white rice. A multiple linear regression analysis was employed to investigate the effects of these processing steps on pesticide residue levels. The processing parameters for bulgur wheat included: washing, soaking duration (0, 30, or 60 min), cooking time (15, 30, or 45 min), and drying time (0, 60, 120, or 180 min). The processing parameters for rice included: washing, soaking duration (0, 15, or 30 min), and cooking time (10, 15, or 20 min). Most processing methods resulted in some degree of reduction in pesticide residues in wheat, with processing factors (PFs) ranging from 0.10 for pirimicarb-desmethyl to 1.28 for difenoconazole. In contrast, all treatments led to at least some reduction in rice, with PFs ranging from 0.05 for azoxystrobin to 0.74 for metalaxyl. Cooking wheat was identified as an effective step in reducing pesticide residues. In contrast, drying led to an increase in residue levels due to the concentration effect, while washing and soaking had little influence on residue levels in wheat. The effectiveness of washing in removing pesticide residues is highly dependent on the nature and porosity of the grain. Rice processing showed that washing had the greatest impact on reducing pesticide residues, with soaking and cooking also contributing significantly, resulting in the lowest PFs observed for rice.

Beyond traditional SERS: Integrating pH control and renewable screen-printed electrode for EC-SERS detection.

Synergistic graphene-aptamer coating on a flexible metasurface enables on-apple terahertz sensing of pesticides.

This study investigated the occurrence, spatial-seasonal distribution, and potential human health risks of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in fish collected from eight locations along the Osun River, southwestern Nigeria. Seventeen OCP congeners, including γ-BHC, DDT and its metabolites (DDE and DDD), dieldrin, and heptachlor epoxide, were analyzed using gas chromatography equipped with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed, whereas human health risks were assessed using carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic indices. Total OCP concentrations in fish ranged from 0.219 to 2.555 mg/kg, with γ-BHC recording the highest concentration (0.994 mg/kg), exceeding the FAO/WHO permissible limit of 0.2 mg/kg. Hazard Index values exceeded the recommended safety threshold (HI > 1) at Oke Gada (1.315), Tesan (1.273), and Odo Oba (1.133), indicating possible health risks to fish consumers. Principal component analysis identified patterns among OCP congeners that may be consistent with historical pesticide application, environmental transformation processes, sediment-associated contamination, and other potential environmental inputs. Carcinogenic risk values exceeded the acceptable USEPA limit (1 × 10-4) at seven of the eight sampling sites, with the highest value observed at Tesan (1.27 × 10-3). Among the detected compounds, γ-BHC and heptachlor epoxide contributed most significantly to both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks. The findings indicate that OCP contamination was present in fish from the Osun River during the study period and highlight the importance of continued environmental monitoring, effective pesticide management, and sustainable pest control practices to reduce potential exposure risks.

Plant wearable sensors have broad application potential in crop physiological monitoring, early warning of pests and diseases, and real-time detection of pesticide residues. However, challenges such as insufficient accuracy, poor mechanical adaptability, and inadequate stability still exist. To solve this problem, a sodium l-pyroglutamate (PCA-Na) modified gelatin hydrogel was constructed for the preparation of wearable sensor patch. The prepared hydrogel sensor demonstrates integrated advantages of enhanced mechanical strength, high ionic conductivity, good surface adhesion, and low detection limit (LOD). Based on the temperature dependent phase transition characteristics of gelatin, it could undergo in situ gelatinization on the plant surface, effectively reducing the impact of external environmental interference. More importantly, the electrostatic attraction between gelatin and PCA-Na could promote ionic cross-linking and significantly enhance the mechanical properties, water retention, and long-term stability of hydrogels. Meanwhile, the high mobility of Na+ in the network of gelatin hydrogel further enhanced the ionic conductivity of working electrode. The sensor exhibited a wide linear range of 0.01 ng/mL to 2 μg/mL for atrazine (ATZ) and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.003 ng/mL, enabling sensitive monitoring of trace physiological signals in plants. Therefore, a synergistic enhancement strategy was proposed, including ion cross-linking to enhance mechanical properties, hydrogen bonding networks to maintain water retention stability, and free ion enhanced conductivity. This work established a proof-of-concept for the modification of hydrogel and integration of plant wearable sensor that could provide the innovative inspiration for the development of efficient detection methods of modern agriculture.

The application of pesticides often results in exposure and risks to non-target organisms. Among these organisms are non-target terrestrial plants (NTTPs), which are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems. Despite the rigorous risk assessment process for approving pesticides used in Europe and many developed countries, the impacts of environmentally realistic mixtures remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluated the effects of 11 realistic mixtures on two plant species. Each mixture comprised 5 pesticides selected based on their estimated risk to terrestrial plants (from regulatory reports) and their frequency of detection in agricultural soils across 10 European countries and Argentina. Two standardized assays, root growth inhibition test (International Organization for Standardization [ISO] 11269-1) and seedling emergence and growth test (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, test guideline 208), were conducted with wheat (Triticum aestivum) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Three concentrations were used: median measured environmental concentration (MEC), predicted environmental concentration (PEC), and five times PEC (5PEC). Significant effects were observed for ten of the eleven mixtures, and these were species-specific and endpoint-specific, likely reflecting variation in mixture composition and herbicide modes of action. Root growth was more sensitive than seedling emergence and shoot biomass. When considering both MEC and PEC treatments, root growth was affected in 9 mixtures for both species, while emergence and biomass were affected in 5 and 7 mixtures, respectively. These results indicate that realistic combinations of pesticide residues can cause deleterious effects on terrestrial plants even at concentrations below predicted environmental thresholds, where no adverse impact would ordinarily be expected. Given that current European risk assessments emphasize spray drift and single-compound exposures, consideration of mixture effects is crucial for adequately evaluating risks to NTTPs.

Pesticides are an indispensable component of agricultural and food management to environmental protection and human health. Unquestionably, rapid identification of various pesticide residues is an urgent issue requiring resolution yet remains challenging. This study introduces a colorimetric sensor array based on metalloporphyrin covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs) for the rapid and accurate discrimination of multiple pesticides. The array utilizes three distinct MCOF nanozymes as catalytic sites, which enhanced discrimination activity by 2.4-4.5-fold compared to metal-free COFs. Aided by Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), the array successfully differentiated five representative pesticides within a 10-100 nM range, achieving limits of detection (LODs) as low as 2.19 nM. Furthermore, by integrating a Random Forest (RF) algorithm, the platform demonstrated high performance in complex matrices. It achieved 94.1% accuracy in identifying mixed pesticide residues in river water and over 95% accuracy for classifying pesticides in tomato samples based on their functional groups. This work would provide a simple, convenient, and promising approach for distinguishing, hierarchically screening to predict multiple pesticide residues in environmental and food monitoring applications.

Addressing Regulatory Gaps: Comprehensive Residue Survey & Risk Assessment for the Specialty Crop Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. in Hainan and Guangdong, China.

Pollution is recognized as a major threat to soil health; however, significant gaps persist regarding the distribution and risks of chemicals in developing regions. This study investigated the occurrence of pesticide residues in African agricultural soils. Between 2022 and 2024, we collected 272 topsoil samples from 13 countries representing diverse farming systems and analyzed them for 153 pesticide residues, including active ingredients and their metabolites. Pesticides were detected in 216 samples, with 63 different residues identified, several of which were unregistered in the countries where they were found and some banned in the European Union. The most frequently detected compounds were dinoterb, DDE-p,p', chlorpyrifos, metolachlor, atrazine-hydroxy-2, AMPA, and imidacloprid, all of which are substances of environmental, ecotoxicological, or toxicological concern. Individual pesticide concentrations ranged from <0.001 to 4.896 mg kg-1, and the total pesticide load reached 6.998 mg kg-1. At least 25% of the sampling locations are expected to present a high ecological risk (RQ ≥ 1), although data gaps for some substances limit assessment accuracy. Eleven pesticides exceeded the risk thresholds in at least one sample, with chlorpyrifos driving the most exceedances. A monitoring- and hazard-based prioritization approach highlighted additional high-concern compounds, notably dinoterb and glyphosate/AMPA. Overall, the findings reveal the significant environmental impacts of agricultural intensification and highlight regulatory challenges related to pesticide use across Africa.

Development of resistance and the accumulation of pesticide residues in food and the environment are the main obstacles to the overuse of synthetic insecticides. In this context, the insecticidal activity of environmentally sustainable and nontoxic essential oils (EO), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) evaluated against second and fourth instars of Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and third instar of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory conditions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry used to determine the chemical composition of the EO. After 24 h of exposure, the most larvicidal potency and developmental inhibition were achieved by clove, wherein the LC50s were 3.62% and 3.82% against second and fourth instars of S. littoralis, respectively, and 2.33% against S. frugiperda. Then followed by lemongrass with LC50 of 6.38 and 12.03% against the second and fourth instars of S. littoralis, respectively, while citronella showed LC50 of 4.76% against S. frugiperda. Biochemical assays indicated that AChE activity differed according to oil type and tested instar. GST and alpha-esterase activities were slightly inhibited in all treatments. The oils significantly inhibited amylase activity. Eucalyptus and lemongrass stimulated lipase activity, while clove and citronella oils demonstrated the lowest activity. Molecular docking studies illustrated the mode of action of the tested oils against S. littoralis and S. frugiperda. The EOs had significant insecticidal and biochemical effects against the examined lepidopterans; therefore, they may be used as a botanical alternative for controlling these pests.

Vallisneria natans drives pesticide removal from agricultural waters: The role of bioaccumulation and epiphytic bacteria.

In grape, fructosphere microbiota play an important role in nutrient cycling, pathogen suppression, berry quality, and fermentation processes. Insecticide imidacloprid (IM) is used to manage several insect pests of grape. However, the non-targeted effect of insecticide residues on grape-associated microbial communities is poorly understood. In the present study, the effect of IM applied at the recommended dose (RD) and ten times the recommended dose (10RD) on microbiota of grape berry surface was investigated under sub-tropical field conditions. Imidacloprid residues were quantified using LC-MS/MS, while bacterial and fungal community dynamics were analysed through 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing at three time points. Residue analysis revealed gradual dissipation of IM over time, although detectable residues persisted until harvest. Amplicon sequencing identified 1,556 bacterial and 1,348 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs). IM treatment significantly affected bacterial OTU abundance, whereas fungal OTUs were not significantly influenced. Beta diversity analysis demonstrated significant differences in bacterial community composition between control and IM-treated samples, while within-group dispersion remained non-significant. In contrast, fungal community composition did not differ significantly among treatments. Pseudomonadota (55-73%) was the dominant bacterial phylum across treatments, whereas Ascomycota (80-94%) predominated among fungal communities. IM exposure reduced the relative abundance of several ecologically important bacterial genera, including Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Methylobacterium, at later sampling stages. Among fungal taxa, Lachnellula remained dominant across all treatments at day 30, whereas several low-abundance fungal genera showed reduced representation. Overall, the study indicated that persistent IM residues can restructure grape fructospheric microbial populations without causing much loss of microbial diversity. The findings suggested that pesticide residues may favour stress-tolerant microbial taxa, with potential implications for vineyard microbial ecology, vine health and berry quality.