Future Pesticide Research Articles

Occurrence, dissipation and processing factors of multi-pesticides in goji berry

As medicine and food homology substance, goji berry is consumed worldwide in the form of fresh, dried and juice; however, pesticide residues have become one of the problems that essentially threaten its quality during cultivation and processing. In this study, a total of 75 dried goji berries were sampled from markets across China, and for the determination of 62 analytes, 28 pesticides were identified. Nine pesticides with high detectable rates and residual levels were selected for folia spraying, and their half-lives were found to range from 1.04 to 2.21 d. The processing factors (PFs) of juice were between 0.25 and 1.02, and this was mainly related with their octanol-water partition coefficient (logKow values). Washing could reduce pesticides residues to varying degrees with the removal rates between 17.00% and 74.05%. Sun drying with higher PF values in the range of 0.61–5.91 exhibited more obvious enrichment effect compared to oven drying. Commercial goji berry had cumulative chronic dietary risks with the hazard index (HI) values of 1.61%−4.97%. Its acute risk quotients (HQas) for consumers were 543.32%−585.92% and were mainly due to insecticides. These results provide important references for rationalizing pesticide application during goji berry cultivation and for the improvement of process to ensure food safety.

A new exposure protocol adapted for wild bees reveals species-specific impacts of the sulfoximine insecticide sulfoxaflor

Wild bees are crucial pollinators of flowering plants and concerns are rising about their decline associated with pesticide use. Interspecific variation in wild bee response to pesticide exposure is expected to be related to variation in their morphology, physiology, and ecology, though there are still important knowledge gaps in its understanding. Pesticide risk assessments have largely focussed on the Western honey bee sensitivity considering it protective enough for wild bees. Recently, guidelines for Bombus terrestris and Osmia bicornis testing have been developed but are not yet implemented at a global scale in pesticide risk assessments. Here, we developed and tested a new simplified method of pesticide exposure on wild bee species collected from the field in Belgium. Enough specimens of nine species survived in a laboratory setting and were exposed to oral and topical acute doses of a sulfoximine insecticide. Our results confirm significant variability among wild bee species. We show that Osmia cornuta is more sensitive to sulfoxaflor than B. terrestris, whereas Bombus hypnorum is less sensitive. We propose hypotheses on the mechanisms explaining interspecific variations in sensitivity to pesticides. Future pesticide risk assessments of wild bees will require further refinement of protocols for their controlled housing and exposure.

Synthesis, and Insecticidal Activities of Propargyloxy-Diphenyl Oxide-Sulfonamide Derivatives.

Agricultural pests are the primary contributing factor to crop yield reduction, particularly in underdeveloped regions. Despite the significant efficacy of pesticides in pest control, their extensive use has led to the drug-fast of insecticide resistance. Developing of new environmentally friendly plant-based pesticides is an urgent necessity. In this study, a series of diaryl ether compounds containing propargyloxy and sulfonamide groups were designed. The synthesis of these 36 compounds primarily relied on nuclear magnetic resonance for structure determination, while single-crystal X-ray diffraction was employed for certain compounds. Meanwhile, the insecticidal activities against Mythimna separata were also assessed. Some of the compounds exhibited significantly enhanced activity, the LC50 value of the highest activity compound TD8 (0.231 mg/mL) demonstrating respective increases by 100-fold compared to the plant pesticide celangulin V (23.9 mg/mL), and a 5-fold increase with the positive control L-1 (1.261 mg/mL). The interaction between the target compound and the target, as well as the consistency of the target, were verified through symptomological analysis and molecular docking. The structure-activity relationships were also conducted. This study offered a novel trajectory for the advancement and formulation of future pesticides.

Effects of glyphosate and glyphosate‐based herbicide on learning and memory of the buff‐tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)

AbstractThe decline of insect pollinators is a global concern, and the use of pesticides has been identified as a potential cause for it. Glyphosate‐based herbicides (GBHs) are the world's most used pesticides, but until recent years they have been claimed to be safe for non‐target organisms, such as pollinators. Using controlled arena experiments, we investigated the effects on the learning and long‐term memory of buff‐tailed bumblebees, Bombus terrestris (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), of a single field‐realistic dose of glyphosate, both in its pure form and as a commercial herbicide (Roundup Gold) containing the active ingredient (a.i.) glyphosate and other co‐formulants. We found that glyphosate in its pure form caused deterioration in the learning ability of bumblebees in a 10‐color discrimination experiment; the glyphosate‐treated bees discriminated colors over 10% worse than the untreated control bees. However, the commercially used GBH (Roundup Gold) had no observable effect on the learning ability of the bumblebees, despite the fact that this herbicide contained the same amount of glyphosate as its pure form. These findings shed light on the potential risks associated with agrochemicals previously considered safe for pollinators and emphasize the need for comprehensive risk assessments of pesticides, including evaluations of cognitive functions in pollinators. Therefore, we propose that future pesticide testing should incorporate broader assessments to ensure the safety of pollinators in agricultural landscapes.

Coumarin‐Based Light‐Responsive Composite Nanochannel Membranes for Precise Controlled Release of Pesticides

AbstractThe precise, controllable, and safe application of pesticides can effectively reduce pesticide consumption and minimize chemical pollution at the source. Here, a light‐responsive controlled‐release system with flexible control, precise release, easy recovery, and suitability for future pesticide application in aquatic environments is proposed. The system precisely controls the release of pesticides through a light‐responsive composite nanochannel membrane (CTC@SNM/PET) with reactive coumarin derivatives (CTC) as gating molecules. The prepared nanochannel membrane has an ultrathin thickness of 67.5 nm and well‐ordered vertical nanochannels with a uniform size of 1.9 nm, providing a prerequisite for precise molecular gating and high permeability for mass transport. CTC monomers can realize cycloaddition/cyclocracking and nanochannel closing/opening to control the release of pesticides by controlling 365/254 nm ultraviolet light irradiation. As a proof of concept, the light‐responsive controlled‐release system based on CTC@MSF/PET against Saprolegnia parasitica achieves an inhibition rate of more than 95% and reduces pesticide residues by 56.5% compared to the control group. The proposed membrane system has great application potential to easily enable remote, quantitative, timed, and positioned pesticide application, thereby reducing pesticide residues and providing a prospective approach to reducing environmental and human risks.

HRMS analysis of pesticides in vegetables from Shanghai and risk assessment

ABSTRACT A rapid analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 550 pesticide residues in vegetable samples was developed based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem Q/Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/Orbitrap-HRMS). To investigate the risk of exposure to pesticide residues through vegetable consumption, 704 leafy vegetable samples from Shanghai were analysed for multiple residues using this method. A total of 54 pesticide residues were identified in these vegetable samples and 302 samples contained one or more pesticide residue. The levels of the detected pesticides did not pose a health risk in the long term and were acceptable according to the results of the chronic dietary risk assessment. Risk rankings displayed that most of the pesticides were low to medium risk. The findings of this study provide a reference for future pesticide monitoring programmes.

Pesticides and the Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis: Convergent Pathways in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease.

The increasing global burden of Parkinson's disease (PD), termed the PD pandemic, is exceeding expectations related purely to population aging and is likely driven in part by lifestyle changes and environmental factors. Pesticides are well recognized risk factors for PD, supported by both epidemiological and experimental evidence, with multiple detrimental effects beyond dopaminergic neuron damage alone. The microbiome-gut-brain axis has gained much attention in recent years and is considered to be a significant contributor and driver of PD pathogenesis. In this narrative review, we first focus on how both pesticides and the microbiome may influence PD initiation and progression independently, describing pesticide-related central and peripheral neurotoxicity and microbiome-related local and systemic effects due to dysbiosis and microbial metabolites. We then depict the bidirectional interplay between pesticides and the microbiome in the context of PD, synthesizing current knowledge about pesticide-induced dysbiosis, microbiome-mediated alterations in pesticide availability, metabolism and toxicity, and complex systemic pesticide-microbiome-host interactions related to inflammatory and metabolic pathways, insulin resistance and other mechanisms. An overview of the unknowns follows, and the role of pesticide-microbiome interactions in the proposed body-/brain-first phenotypes of PD, the complexity of environmental exposures and gene-environment interactions is discussed. The final part deals with possible further steps for translation, consisting of recommendations on future pesticide use and research as well as an outline of promising preventive/therapeutic approaches targeted on strengthening or restoring a healthy gut microbiome, closing with a summary of current gaps and future perspectives in the field.

Three pesticide-pesticide eutectic systems of boscalid: Mechanochemical preparation, characterization and mechanism analysis

Preparation of eutectic mixture is considered to be an efficient means to improve physical and chemical properties in many fields. In this work, three pesticide-pesticide eutectic systems of boscalid with diniconazole, uniconazole and 3,6-dichloropicolinic acid were prepared by mechanochemical method. The formation of eutectic mixtures was identified by differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction characterizations. From the constructed solid–liquid phase diagrams, it is discovered that these eutectic systems could form a eutectic when the molar fraction of boscalid is 0.500. In addition, all eutectic temperatures are more than 29 K lower than the higher melting points of the constituents in the systems, which eliminates the issue of the poor thermal stability of constituents and enables the treatment of them using melting-based operations. Ideal model and COSMO-RS theory also calculate these solid–liquid phase diagrams relatively accurately, and the calculated activity coefficient values prove that these systems do not deviate significantly from the ideal state. The distinct non-ideality at the eutectic composition of the three systems also suggests that the interactions of the three coformers and the boscalid differ. The formation of eutectic mixtures was further confirmed by other solid state characterizations including mid-infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and etc. The accelerated stability test indicates the good stability of the three eutectic mixtures. Furthermore, the water solubility study suggests the boscalid in the eutectic systems has a higher solubility than raw boscalid. By using COSMO-RS modelling, the most typical homo/hetero-molecular complexes of these pesticides were obtained and analyzed. Based on the trend of affinity characterized by the Gibbs free energy of the generation of molecular complexes, it could be inferred that eutectic point could be viewed as the state for which affinity of hetero-molecular complexes is greatest. The affinity of hetero-molecular complexes also presents the interaction between boscalid and 3,6-dichloropicolinic acid is greater than the other two pesticides at the eutectic point. Furthermore, the calculated solvation free energies document the intermolecular interaction plays an important role in stabilizing the three eutectic systems. These eutectic systems solve the problem that the three coformers are unsuitable for melting-based procedures and improve the solubility, making them potential options for future pesticide formulation development.

Extending shared socio-economic pathways for pesticide use in Europe: Pest-Agri-SSPs

While pesticides are essential to agriculture and food systems to sustain current production levels, they also lead to significant environmental impacts. The use of pesticides is constantly increasing globally, driven mainly by a further intensification of agriculture, despite stricter regulations and higher pesticide effectiveness. To further the understanding of future pesticide use and make informed farm-to-policy decisions, we developed Pesticide Agricultural Shared Socio-economic Pathways (Pest-AgriSSPs) in six steps. The Pest-Agri-SSPs are developed based on an extensive literature review and expert feedback approach considering significant climate and socio-economic drivers from farm to continental scale in combination with multiple actors impacting them. In literature, pesticide use is associated with farmer behaviour and practices, pest damage, technique and efficiency of pesticide application, agricultural policy and agriculture demand and production. Here, we developed PestAgri-SSPs upon this understanding of pesticide use drivers and relating them to possible agriculture development as described by the Shared Socio-economic Pathways for European agriculture and food systems (Eur-Agri-SSPs).The Pest-AgriSSPs are developed to explore European pesticide use in five scenarios representing low to high challenges to mitigation and adaptation up to 2050. The most sustainable scenario (Pest-Agri-SSP1) shows a decrease in pesticide use owing to sustainable agricultural practices, technological advances and better implementation of agricultural policies. On the contrary, the Pest-Agri-SSP3 and Pest-Agri-SSP4 show a higher increase in pesticide use resulting from higher challenges from pest pressure, resource depletion and relaxed agricultural policies. Pest-Agri-SSP2 presents a stabilised pesticide use resulting from stricter policies and slow transitions by farmers to sustainable agricultural practices. At the same time, pest pressure, climate change and food demand pose serious challenges. Pest-Agri-SSP5 shows a decrease in pesticide use for most drivers, influenced mainly by rapid technological development and sustainable agricultural practices. However, Pest-Agri-SSP5 also presents a relatively low rise in pesticide use driven by agricultural demand, production, and climate change. Our results highlight the need for a holistic approach to tackle pesticide use, considering the identified drivers and future developments. The storylines and qualitative assessment provide a platform to make quantitative assumptions for numerical modelling and evaluating policy targets.

Biological effects of Thymol loaded chitosan nanoparticles (TCNPs) on bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris.

Engineered nanomaterials can provide eco-friendly alternatives for crop disease management. Chitosan based nanoparticles has shown beneficial applications in sustainable agricultural practices and effective healthcare. Previously we demonstrated that Thymol loaded chitosan nanoparticles (TCNPs) showed bactericidal activity against Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris (Xcc), a bacterium that causes black rot disease in brassica crops. Despite the progress in assessing the antibacterial action of TCNPs, the knowledge about the molecular response of Xcc when exposed to TCNPs is yet to be explored. In the present study, we combined physiological, spectroscopic and untargeted metabolomics studies to investigate the response mechanisms in Xcc induced by TCNPs. Cell proliferation and membrane potential assays of Xcc cells exposed to sub-lethal concentration of TCNPs showed that TCNPs affects the cell proliferation rate and damages the cell membrane altering the membrane potential. FTIR spectroscopy in conjunction with untargeted metabolite profiling using mass spectrometry of TCNPs treated Xcc cells revealed alterations in amino acids, lipids, nucleotides, fatty acids and antioxidant metabolites. Mass spectroscopy analysis revealed a 10-25% increase in nucleic acid, fatty acids and antioxidant metabolites and a 20% increase in lipid metabolites while a decrease of 10-20% in amino acids and carbohydrates was seen in in TCNP treated Xcc cells. Overall, our results demonstrate that the major metabolic perturbations induced by TCNPs in Xcc are associated with membrane damage and oxidative stress, thus providing information on the mechanism of TCNPs mediated cytotoxicity. This will aid towards the development of nano- based agrochemicals as an alternative to chemical pesticides in future.

BCPC Congress 2022 – Delivers an Insight Into the Future of UK Agriculture

This year's BCPC Congress, returned to Harrogate on 7 and 8 November, and was attended by over 130 participants. Addressing the theme of 'Providing policy and regulatory support for multi-functional UK agriculture' the speakers – some presenting to the delegates on-line – delivered informative, thought-provoking and at times controversial presentations covering a range of issues. BCPC's General Manager, Julian Westaway said he was delighted that the Congress has again attracted such positive interest. The programme enabled them to deliver a great mix of authoritative speakers. Analysing the two days, there were key themes which were repeated throughout, namely agricultural policy, land-use and food security, future pesticide regulation in the UK, current pesticide regulatory issues, possible changes to pesticide management, current and future challenges to pesticide use.

Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling

Pesticides applied worldwide to meet food demand is recognized as a key threat to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. Studies on pesticide risks employ different ingredients, methods or specific environments, which makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem. Furthermore, the complex influences and hotspots of long-term pesticide usage remain unclear. Herein, we present a national-scale study of four typical pesticides in China, the world’s largest pesticide user. The spatiotemporal changes in legacy and risk of pesticides over 30 years were analyzed using a modified fugacity model approach coupled with comprehensive ingredient database. Pesticide risk in mainland China might last until 2075 due to the previous legacy, although the usage has declined since 2014. The use of target pesticides was estimated as 2.38 × 105 tonnes in 2017, and about 6.59 × 103 tonnes discharged into the ocean from major basins. Risk areas expanded from 47% in 1991 to 79% in 2017, with 30% at high risk. Of the risk areas, 31% were highly populated while 3% had high biodiversity. 7% of mainland China suffered from both limited water resource and high pesticide risk. It is shown that the improper substitution with lower toxicity pesticides would make the proportion of high-risk regions unexpectedly increased from 18% to 44% due to the longer half-lives of the alternatives. Pesticides pose risks to environmental and human health, and the tailored assessment tool will be vital in contributing towards future pesticide management and meeting sustainability targets in China.

Identification of the neuropeptide gene family and feeding regulation by neuropeptide Y in Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Mythimna separata is a crucial agricultural pest with polyphagous characteristic. Neuropeptide signaling, especially neuropeptide Y (NPY) involved in feeding regulation, is considered as a potential pest control target. In this study, we identified 50 neuropeptides including NPY of M. separata using transcriptome sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis showed that NPY had a conserved carboxyterminal motif of RGRYamide and shared very high homology across lepidopteran insects. Spatio-temporal expression profile articulated that NPY was mainly expressed in the larval stage, and with the highest expression in larval midgut and adult alimentary canal. RNAi knockdown by the injection of dsNPY into larvae significantly inhibited food uptake and body weight, delayed developmental duration, and also caused increase of trehalose and decrease of glycogen and total lipid compared to dsGFP. This study identified nearly the entire neuropeptide gene family of M. separata and further indicated that NPY signaling pathway might played a vital role in the feeding regulation and related to energy metabolism. Our results not only laid a preliminary foundation for functional studies on neuropeptide of M. separata, but also provided a potential molecular target for future pesticide development.

Polygenic and autosomally inherited dimethoate resistance in Amrasca biguttula biguttula with no cross-resistance to bifenthrin, imidacloprid, and chlorfenapyr

The cotton jassid, Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida) (Cicadellidae: Homoptera), is a polyphagous pest that infests many field crops, vegetables, and ornamental plants. It sucks sap from leaf tissues and also serves as a vector for hopper burn viral disease. A. biguttula has developed low to high levels of resistance to several insecticides. Because dimethoate is still widely used for management of this pest, this study was conducted to improve insecticide resistance-management (IRM) strategies by determining the genetics of dimethoate resistance in A. biguttula and its cross-resistance potential to bifenthrin, imidacloprid, and chlorfenapyr. A population was selected with dimethoate using the leaf dip method. After nine continuous cycles of selection with dimethoate, the selected population (Di-SEL) of A. biguttula developed a 90-fold level of resistance to this compound compared to the susceptible population. Dimethoate resistance in A. biguttula biguttula was transferred from parents to its offspring as an autosomal and incomplete dominant trait. The realized heritability value of dimethoate resistance was 0.17. The cross-resistance results showed that there was no cross-resistance to bifenthrin, imidacloprid, and chlorfenapyr. Our findings provide the basic knowledge to develop an improved IRM strategy that enhances the likelihood of ongoing usage of current and future pesticides for control of cotton jassid.

Past and future pesticide losses to Chinese waters under socioeconomic development and climate change.

Increasing pesticide use pollutes Chinese surface waters. Pesticides often enter waters through surface runoff from agricultural fields. This occurs especially during heavy rainfall events. Socio-economic development and climate change may accelerate future loss of pesticides to surface waters due to increasing food production and rainfall events. The main objective of this study is to model past and future pesticide losses to Chinese waters under socio-economic development and climate change. To this end, we developed a pesticide model with local information to quantify the potential pesticide runoff from near-stream agriculture to surface waters after heavy rainfall. We project future trends in potential pesticide runoff. For this, we developed three scenarios: Sustainability, "Middle of the Road" and Economy-first. These scenarios are based on combined Shared Socio-economic Pathways and Representative Concentration Pathways. We identified hotspots with high potential pesticide runoff. The results show that the potential pesticide runoff increased by 45% from 2000 to 2010, nationally. Over 50% of the national pesticide runoff in 2000 was in five provinces. Over 60% of the Chinese population lived in pesticide polluted hotspots in 2000. For the future, trends differ among scenarios and years. The largest increase is projected for the Economy-first scenario, where the potential pesticide runoff is projected to increase by 85% between 2010 and 2099. Future pesticide pollution hotspots are projected to concentrate in the south and south-east of China. This is the net-effect of high pesticide application, intensive crop production and high precipitation due to climate change. In our scenarios, 58%-84% of the population is projected to live in pesticide polluted hotspots from 2050 onwards. These projections can support the development of regional management strategies to control pesticide pollution in waters in the future.

Multiresidue analysis and dietary risk assessment of pesticides in eight minor vegetables from Guizhou, China

Several minor vegetables are widely employed as hot pot dishes and condiments in Southwest China. To gain insight into pesticide exposure risk via the intake of minor vegetables, vegetable samples (400) obtained from different farms in Guizhou were subjected to multiresidue analyses. Gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were developed to detect and quantify 97 pesticide residues simultaneously in samples using modified QuEChERS methods. The results showed that no pesticides were detected in 248 samples. Pesticides of different levels were detected in 152 samples, of which 69 samples exhibited residue concentrations exceeding maximum residue limit of European Union. The acute and chronic dietary exposure risk of 15 pesticides in eight minor vegetables were accepted. The risk ranking result showed the most samples contained low-risk pesticides. The results will provide a reference for designing future pesticide supervision programs and risk management programs.

The Role for Drones in Future Aerial Pesticide Applications

Aircraft have been used to apply pesticides for decades, but their use has been largely confined to spraying crops grown on very large fields, mostly in north, central and south America. Aerial spraying has also been vital in controlling locust swarms spread over vast areas. The development of unmanned aircraft, known as drones, has benefitted smallscale farmers as the drone can be controlled effectively over specific areas. Drones have also benefitted vector control by detecting the breeding sites of mosquitoes, which can be sprayed subsequently with larvicides, or controlled by applying space sprays. Smaller drones are an important way of replacing ground methods in difficult to reach areas such as wetlands, steep terrain for vineyards, and small areas of trees.

Residential Proximity and Cumulative Risk Assessment of Agricultural Pesticide Applications in California

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pesticide exposure based on residential proximity to agricultural applications has been associated with adverse health outcomes including developmental neurotoxicity such as reduced IQ and autism spectrum disorder, adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight and birth defects as well as increased risk of cancer. However, epidemiological studies have primarily assessed individual pesticides or groups of pesticides sharing a common mechanism of action. In reality, individuals living near agricultural pesticide applications are exposed to a complex mixture of pesticides impacting a broad range of potential health harms. Here we develop a toxicity index for pesticide mixtures based on multiple chronic toxicity endpoints, and identify residential areas at greatest risk of adverse health outcomes due to pesticide exposure. METHODS: Data for pesticide applications were downloaded from the California Pesticide Use Reporting program (PUR). Over 400 active ingredients were assessed for chronic toxicity endpoints including carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, thyroid toxicity and respiratory toxicity based on classifications from authoritative bodies including the EPA, IARC, and EFSA. We developed a toxicity index for each active ingredient based on the severity of the health outcome, the strength of the association, the reliability of the data source and the NOAEL if available. We then combined the toxicity index with application rates for all pesticides applied within a square mile. RESULTS:Pesticides with the greatest toxicity index include active ingredients previously associated with adverse health outcomes including organophosphates and carbamates. Other pesticides with high toxicity indices include neonicotinoids, pyrethroids and triazole fungicides. Residential areas of high risk of potential adverse health effects due to pesticide exposure from nearby agricultural applications were identified. CONCLUSIONS:Using the pesticide toxicity index and application rates in combination with residential proximity agricultural applications can help identify and prioritize high risk areas for future pesticide policy actions to best protect public health. KEYWORDS: pesticides, cumulative risk assessment, residential proximity

A screening model for managing periodic pesticide application in residential lawn soils

To improve our understanding of the fate of pesticides after household applications and to promote lawn management practices, we have introduced a periodic modeling framework that can be simplified using a weighted approximate approach. The comparisons of the periodic model and approximate method using regular rainfall or irrigation conditions demonstrate the validity of the approximate method; based on this, the overall weighted specific loss rate and half-lives of over 3,000 organic compounds were derived. The half-lives derived from the approximate approach can be conveniently used to estimate the pesticide concentrations that remain in lawn soils. For example, over 1,500 organic compounds have estimated half-lives below 7.0 days, indicating that their concentrations will be below at least 1/16 of the initial concentrations in soils if the applications follow a monthly pattern. The model results for two common herbicides, glyphosate and 2,4-D, indicated that when following the manufacturer's suggestions, the pesticide concentration in the soil may not cause the adverse health effects modeled by the children's ingestion exposure route. For example, based on a monthly application pattern of 230 mg m−2 per event, the average concentration of glyphosate was far below the simulated safe level of 12,000 mg kg−1, even on the days immediately after the glyphosate application. However, the simulated concentrations in the lawn soils were larger than some legal limits for glyphosate in the residential soils. Although this simple model requires further validation and improvements using field data, we hope that it will help to improve future pesticide management for lawn soils.

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.