Pesticides In Soil Research Articles

Mini-review highlighting toxic effects of triflumuron in insects and mammalian systems.

Pesticides have been used to kill pests such as insects, fungi, rodents, and unwanted plants. As these compounds are potentially toxic to the target organisms, they could also be harmful to human health and the environment. Several chronic adverse effects have been identified even after months or years of exposure. The adverse effects of pesticides on the agricultural ecosystem have been a matter of concern in recent decades. In this review, we present an overview of the studies, including our previous studies, monitoring currently used pesticides in the Tunisian agricultural soils that belong to the class of insect growth regulators (IGRs). Triflumuron (TFM) is a benzoyl phenyl urea insecticide belonging to the class of IGRs. TFM is widely used around the world to increase crop yield by protecting them from damage caused by insects. TFM works by inhibiting the synthesis of chitin, an essential part of the insect cuticle, making it susceptible to pathogens and deformities. Consequently, insects become more susceptible to pathogens and malformations. However, studies revealing its toxicity and its mode of action in mammalian systems remain very limited. The aim of this review is to better inform the community about the impact of TFM on crops, the environment, and human beings by summarizing its toxic effects.

Composition, Distribution, and Source Apportionment of Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) in Soil of a Chemical Industrial Park and its Surrounding in the Northeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Composition, Distribution, and Source Apportionment of Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) in Soil of a Chemical Industrial Park and its Surrounding in the Northeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Concentration and non-dietary human health risk assessment of pesticide residues in soil of farms in Golestan province, Iran

ABSTRACT Detection of pesticide residues in soil samples was conducted using UHPLC-MS/MS. Non-dietary health risk assessment was conducted using calculate chronic daily intake (CDI) from ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact pathways and following non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks in the adults and adolescent. The rank order of pesticide in soil based on their concentration was malathion (0.082 mg kg−1)> cyproconazole (0.019 mg kg−1)> propargite (0.018 mg kg−1)> butachlor (0.016 mg kg−1) > chlorpyrifos (0.0067 mg kg−1)> diazinon (0.0014 mg kg−1)> imidacloprid (0.0007 mg kg−1). Hazard index (HI) values obtained of exposure to pesticides in soil in adults and adolescent were 0.0012 and 0.0035, respectively. Hence, exposed population are at the acceptable range of non-carcinogenic risk (HI < 1). Cancer risk (CR) values due to propargite in soil via ingestion pathway in adults and adolescent were 2.03E–09 and 2.08E–09, respectively; therefore, carcinogenic risk due to the exposure to pesticide contaminated soil was safe range (CR < 1E–06).

Temporal dynamics of total and bioavailable fungicide concentrations in soil and their effect upon nine soil microbial markers

Pesticides constitute an integral part of today's agriculture. Their widespread use leads to ubiquitous contamination of the environment, including soils. Soils are a precious resource providing vital functions to society — thus, it is of utmost importance to thoroughly assess the risk posed by widespread pesticide contamination. The exposure of non-target organisms to pesticides in soils is challenging to quantify since only a fraction of the total pesticide concentration is bioavailable. Here we measured and compared the bioavailable and total concentrations of three fungicides – boscalid, azoxystrobin, and epoxiconazole – and evaluated which concentration best predicts effects on nine microbial markers. The experiments were performed in three different soils at five time points over two months employing nearly 900 microcosms with a model plant. The total and bioavailable concentrations of azoxystrobin and boscalid decreased steadily during the trial to levels of 25 % and 8 % of the original concentration, respectively, while the concentration of epoxiconazole in soil nearly remained unchanged. The bioavailable fraction generally showed a slightly faster and more pronounced decline. The microbial markers varied in their sensitivity to the three fungicides. Specific microbial markers, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers, were most sensitive to each of the fungicide treatments, making them suitable indicators for pesticide effects. Even though the responses were predominantly negative, they were also transient, and the impact was no longer evident after two months. Finally, the bioavailable fraction did not better predict the relationships between exposure and effect than the total concentration. This study demonstrates that key microbial groups are temporarily susceptible to a single fungicide application, pointing to the risk that repeated use of pesticides may disrupt vital soil functions such as nutrient cycling in agroecosystems.

Interactions of Microplastics with Pesticides in Soils and Their Ecotoxicological Implications

In the middle of the 20th century, the production of plastics exploded worldwide because of their low cost and the versatility of their applications. However, since plastic debris is highly resistant to environmental degradation, a growing presence of plastics in all the ecosystems has been confirmed. Among them, plastic particles &lt; 5 mm, also known as microplastics (MPs), are of special concern because they are dispersed in aerial, terrestrial and aquatic environments, being the soil the main environmental sink of these contaminants. Due to their large specific surface area and hydrophobicity, MPs are considered good adsorbents for other environmental organic pollutants also present in terrestrial ecosystems, such as pharmaceuticals, personal-care products or pesticides with which they can interact and thus modify their environmental fate. In this review article, we examine the recent literature (from 2017 to 2022) to get a better understanding of the environmental fate of pesticides in soil (adsorption, mobility and/or degradation) when they are simultaneously present with MPs and the ecological risks on living organisms of the interactions between MPs and pesticides in soil. More studies are needed to fully understand the toxicological impact of the copresence in soil of pesticides and MPs.

Potential Applications of Chitosan-Coated Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Degrading Pesticide Residues in Environmental Soils

The precipitation process was applied to synthesize chitosan-coated zinc oxide nanoparticles (chitosan-ZnO NPs). Then, various characterization tools were used such as XDR, SEM, TEM, FTIR, and EDX. The use of these 50 nm chitosan-ZnO NPs in soil decontamination of thifluzamide and difenoconazole pesticide residues is being investigated. In two distinct soils, the effect of catalytic decontamination on pesticide residues was examined (sandy loam and sandy clay soils). The studies required two sets of pesticide concentrations. One set of samples was added to the chitosan-ZnO NPs catalyst, and the other set was studied without the addition of a catalyst. Photocatalytic studies were conducted under the sunlight in July. The soil samples were hand-spread in a glass dish to a height of 5 mm and sprayed with an aqueous solution of pesticide. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., these samples were exposed to sunlight in October 2021. We found that the best concentration of catalyst was 0.05%. The acquired samples were quantified using validated Ultra-Fast Liquid Chromatography (UFLC) with Photo Diode Array (PDA) detection. Kinetic parameters such as rate constant k and the degradation rate of pesticides DT50 have been calculated using Pesticide Residue Dissipation Data. The findings showed that the tested fungicides degenerate according to pseudo-first-order kinetics. Based on the findings, we concluded that photocatalytic degradation of pesticides in soils are faster than photolysis.

Target and suspect screening of pesticide residues in soil samples from peach orchards using liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Agricultural soil contamination by pesticide residues has become a serious issue of increasing concern due to their high persistence and toxicity to non-target species. However, as the world’s largest peach producer, national scale surveys on pesticide residues in peach orchard soils are scarce in China. In this study, a target and suspect screening method covering over 200 pesticides commonly used in peach orchards was developed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry in MSE. An identification strategy using different data processing parameters was developed to identify the pesticide occurrence in soil. The method was applied to soil samples from typical peach orchards in 12 regions across China. The present work also discusses in detail the frequency of occurrence, concentration of pesticides, spatial distribution of multiresidues, and relationship between pesticide occurrence and soil properties. In the tested soil samples, 21 herbicides (level 1), 31 fungicides (level 2a), 24 insecticides (level 2a), and 3 growth regulators (level 2a) were identified. The total concentrations of quantifiable herbicides in the soil samples ranged from 1.05 to 327 ng/g. Only in 5.4% of the soil samples, no pesticide residues were present. By contrast, more than 86% of the total contained multiple residues. This study represents the first large-scale survey of pesticides in soil from peach orchards and provides comprehensive and accurate information on the pesticide residue status for risk assessment.

National-scale monitoring of historic used organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and current used pesticides (CUPs) in Chinese surface soil: Old topic and new story.

Along with the restriction and prohibition of historic used organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), current used pesticides (CUPs) were widely used as alternatives. In order to investigate the pollution characteristics of pesticides, the levels and spatial distributions of OCPs and CUPs in 154 surface soil across China were comprehensively compared. Totally, 107 target pesticides were screened, and 20 OCPs and 34 CUPs were detected. The numbers of co-occurred pesticides in single soil sample were from 17 to 36 indicating the diversity and complexity of pesticides pollution. The concentrations of OCPs in urban soils were higher than rural soils, while rural >urban for CUPs. Furthermore, obviously different spatial distribution patterns were found for OCPs and CUPs. For OCPs, the secondary distribution pattern was dominant. For CUPs, the primary distribution pattern was obviously observed due to their current extensive usage. In addition, higher concentrations of both CUPs and OCPs were accumulated in the Northeast China Plain due to long-range atmospheric transport and deposition. Along with the old topic of OCPs, the study pointed out the preliminary understanding of CUPs pollution characteristic in surface soil of China, which provided a new story with the deep understanding of their environmental fate in both China and the world.

Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in three Indian soils: method development and validation using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

The paper reports a multiresidue method that was validated on 220 multi-class pesticides in three major Indian soils, namely, (i) new alluvial soil (NAS); (ii) red lateritic soil (RS) and (iii) black soil (BS) from three different regions. An ethyl acetate-based extraction method with a freezing-out cleanup step was employed for sample preparation, followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric analysis. The method that was initially optimized on BS worked satisfactorily for the other two soil matrices. At the spiking level of 10 µg/kg (LOQ), the recoveries were satisfactory (within 70–120%) with precision-RSDs, ≤20% (n = 6) for 85, 88.6, and 89% of compounds in BS, RS, and NAS respectively. At 20 µg/kg, the method performance was satisfactory in each soil for all pesticides. When this validated method was applied to analyse 25 field samples, 6 pesticides were detected in them. In each case, precision (RSD) was <20%. The method sensitivity, accuracy and precision complied with the SANTE/2020/12830 guidelines. The method can be applied for environmental monitoring and risk assessment purposes, thus aiding in regulating pesticide usage in agricultural fields. The limitations and future scope of the study are also discussed. Highlights A multiresidue method is reported for simultaneous analysis of multi-class pesticides in diverse soils The method was validated on 220 pesticides in new alluvial, red lateritic and black soils Sample preparation involved extraction with ethyl acetate and cleanup by a freezing step The residues were estimated by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) The method accuracy and precision complied with the EU’s SANTE guidelines

Adsorption behaviour and mechanism of Avermectin-based pesticides in soil driven by H-bonds formed between the compounds and humus

Adsorption is an essential process in regulating pesticide distribution in soil. However, the relationship between soil adsorption mechanisms and the structure of the compounds is unclear. Different soil samples (S1, S2, S3) were selected for adsorption tests of avermectin B2a (AVB2a), avermectin B1a (AVB1a), and emamectin benzoate (EB) to investigate the influence of adsorbent properties and compound structure on the adsorption. The adsorption of the three chemicals by the three soils was extensive and irreversible. Soil adsorption of AVB2a was strongest, followed by AVB1a and EB. Soil adsorption tests of three avermectin-based pesticides showed that the –OH groups of the compounds were the main adsorption site. The humus fraction, a significant component of the soil organic matter, was extracted for further adsorption tests on the compounds. The humus fraction most strongly adsorbs AVB2a, followed by AVB1a and EB, indicating that –OH is also the main site for the humus fraction to adsorb compounds. Differences in the content of polar groups in the humus fraction by elemental analysis and 13C NMR analysis suggested that the –OH of avermectin-based pesticides interacts with the polar groups of humus. Quantum chemical calculations confirm that the –OH groups of the compound form hydrogen bonds with amino, hydroxyl, carboxyl, and carbonyl groups in the humus, thus demonstrating that hydrogen bonding is the mechanism by which avermectin-based pesticides are adsorbed to the soil.

Subcellular Responses and Avoidance Behavior in Earthworm Eisenia andrei Exposed to Pesticides in the Artificial Soil

Earthworms are key organisms of the soil ecosystem and bioindicators for soil quality. While pesticides are used for the improvement of crop yields, they also present a burden for soil organisms. To understand the complex effects of pesticides on soil organisms, it is important to test these effects in soil exposures to include influences of the soil matrix on the toxicity. Therefore, the aim of this study was the assessment of the effects pesticides on earthworm Eisenia andrei. In an initial screening, active ingredients and commercial preparations were tested for comparison. Since the commercial preparations showed a higher toxicity, all further investigations (biomarkers, multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) activity, and avoidance behavior) were performed using the commercial pesticide formulations only: Sumialfa (esfenvalerate), Calypso (thiacloprid), Frontier (dimethenamid-p), and Filon (prosulfocarb). Significant differences in avoidance behavior were observed for Filon and Frontier. All pesticides inhibited the MXR activity and affected oxidative stress-related markers. Frontier was the only pesticide that did not affect enzymatic biomarkers related to neurotransmission. The results show the potential hazards associated with the usage of the tested pesticides and the importance of evaluating the effects of commercial pesticide preparations for a more realistic insight into the adverse effects on the environment.

Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Organochlorine Pesticides in Agricultural Soil from Xiamen City.

The concentration and distribution of 15 organochlorine pesticides in the soil of Xiamen City were determined. Overall, among the 15 selected target pesticides, 14 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were detected (hexachlorobenzene was not). The range of detected pesticides was undetected-10.04 ng/g, the total detection rate was 35.2%, and the three pollutants with the highest detection rate in all samples were Heptachlor (66.7%), δ-Hexachlorocyclohexane (60.0%), and p, p'-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (58.3%). The degree of pollution in descending order was Tong'an > Xiang'an > Jimei > Haicang. Linear regression analysis of soil properties and OCP concentration distribution revealed that OCPs were positively correlated with water content, dissolved organic carbon, and pH and negatively correlated with cation exchange capacity. The origin of OCPs was evaluated using the relationship between the parent compound and its metabolites, with possible new hexachlorocyclohexane and isomer (HCHs) input. By comparing the risk screening values of ΣHCHs and ΣDDTs in "Soil Environmental Quality Standards", the concentrations in all soil samples were lower than the standard values, which indicated that the OCP residues in Xiamen were very low.

Chlorpyrifos degrading potential of a Bacterial isolate from Thermal Power Plant Soil

The pesticides had a significant role in crop protection and in agricultural production. The organophosphate pesticides are used against many crop pests. But the injudicious application results in residues of organophosphate pesticides in soil routed to food chain by different means and affect the human health. There is a great need for remediation of the toxic residues from the environment. The microbial bioremediation is a safe and eco-friendly technique for pesticide removal. The present study focused on the degradation ability of a bacterium previously isolated from the soil contaminated with fly ash from coal based thermal power plant. The 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed the bacterium as Lysinibacillus fusiformis. The chlorpyrifos utilization capability of the isolated bacterium was studied in mineral salt medium supplemented with 50 mg L-1 chlorpyrifos as sole carbon source at 30oC and 120 rpm for 15 days. The bacterium was able to grow in the medium with the production of alkaline phosphatase and reduction in pH of the growth media. The bacterium degraded 16.54 percent of chlorpyrifos in 15 days. The chlorpyrifos utilization for bacterial biomass production confirmed the in situ biodegradation ability of the bacterium.

A Simple and Fast Extraction Method (Safem) for Simultaneous Determination of 98 Current-Use Pesticides in Soil and Herbaceous Vegetation Using Hplc-Esi-Ms/Ms

A Simple and Fast Extraction Method (Safem) for Simultaneous Determination of 98 Current-Use Pesticides in Soil and Herbaceous Vegetation Using Hplc-Esi-Ms/Ms

Sorption characteristics and thermodynamic parameters of bispyribac-sodium and metribuzin on alluvial soil with difference in particle size and pH value

The behavior of bispyribac-sodium and metribuzin herbicides was investigated into alluvial soil. Effect of pH, temperature, and particle size of soil on the sorption process was studied. Sorption isotherms by bulk soil and its sand, silt, clay and humic acid (HA) fractions were quantified using the batch equilibration technique. The results showed that sorption of herbicides tested was significantly affected by temperature and was a spontaneous interfacial process into soil. Freundlich equation accurately predicted the sorption behavior of two herbicides. Thermodynamic parameters summarized that the negative values of the standard free energy changes (ΔG˚) were obtained therefore, the adsorption of tested pesticides in soil was spontaneous and small negative values indicate the sorption is physical in nature involving weak forces of attraction. The negative ΔH˚ value, indicating metribuzin and bispyribac-sodium interactions are exothermic processes and products are energetically stable with a high binding of compound to soil sites. There was an increase in the entropy of tested pesticides-soil systems as shown by positive values of ΔS˚. The highest adsorption in soil was at pH 5 for bispyribac-sodium and at pH 7 for metribuzin. The sorption of metribuzin and bispyribac-sodium were significantly greater on HA fraction followed by clay fraction than the bulk soil. The KF and Kd values increase with decreasing particle size particularly in the case of adsorption of metribuzin.

Biosensors Technological Advancement and their Biomedical, Agricultural, Environmental and Food Industrial Applications: A Review

The biosensors are devices that receive the biological message and convert it into a sensible electrical signal. The biosensing involves a combination of biological entities like DNA, RNA, and proteins/enzymes to the electrochemical transducers. Biosensors comprise biorecognition elements including enzymes, antigens, antibodies or nucleic acids that mediate selective biocatalysis or specific binding of analyte and transducers that able to measure the signal. There are several types of biosensors being employed today, such as optical, surface plasmon resonance, enzymes, DNA, Phage, and microbial biosensors. The biosensor technologies have been employed in biomedicine, food safety standards, defense and environmental monitoring. Detection of the lower or higher limits of glucose in the body, microbial invasion in the body and food, heavy metal detection in soil, water and airborne microbes, pesticides in water and soil and various harmful chemicals produced by body, can be easily and timely monitored with high precision using the different types of biosensors. Biosensors can overcome all the limitation of the traditional methods of chemical and microbiological analyses by offering rapid, non-destructive and affordable methods for quality control. Thus, this review paper highlights biosensor and its components, types of biosensors and its application in different disciplines

Biosensors Technological Advancement and their Biomedical, Agricultural, Environmental and Food Industrial Applications: A Review

The biosensors are devices that receive the biological message and convert it into a sensible electrical signal. The biosensing involves a combination of biological entities like DNA, RNA, and proteins/enzymes to the electrochemical transducers. Biosensors comprise biorecognition elements including enzymes, antigens, antibodies or nucleic acids that mediate selective biocatalysis or specific binding of analyte and transducers that able to measure the signal. There are several types of biosensors being employed today, such as optical, surface plasmon resonance, enzymes, DNA, Phage, and microbial biosensors. The biosensor technologies have been employed in biomedicine, food safety standards, defense and environmental monitoring. Detection of the lower or higher limits of glucose in the body, microbial invasion in the body and food, heavy metal detection in soil, water and airborne microbes, pesticides in water and soil and various harmful chemicals produced by body, can be easily and timely monitored with high precision using the different types of biosensors. Biosensors can overcome all the limitation of the traditional methods of chemical and microbiological analyses by offering rapid, non-destructive and affordable methods for quality control. Thus, this review paper highlights biosensor and its components, types of biosensors and its application in different disciplines.

Study on Sustained-Release Pesticides Blended with Fosthiazate-Stearic Acid/Expanded Perlite

The low utilization rate of pesticides makes the migration of pesticides in water and soil, which brings great harm to the ecosystem. The development of pesticide carriers with good drug loading capacity and release control ability is an effective method to realize effective utilization of pesticides and reduce pesticide losses. In this work, fosthiazate-stearic acid/expanded perlite sustained-release particles were successfully prepared by vacuum impregnation using expanded perlite (EP) as carrier, fosthiazate (FOS) as model pesticide and stearic acid (SA) as hydrophobic matrix. The structure and morphology of the samples were studied by BET, FT-IR, TGA, XRD, DSC and SEM. The effects of different mass ratios of FOS to SA on loading capacity and release rate at 24 h were investigated. The sustained release behavior of FOS-SA/EP at different temperatures and pH values was investigated by static dialysis bag method. The results showed that FOS and SA were adsorbed in EP pores by physical interaction. With the mass ratios of FOS to SA decreasing from 7:3 to 3:7, the 24 h release rate of FOS-SA/EP decreased from 18.77% to 8.05%, and the drug loading decreased from 461.32 to 130.99 mg/g. FOS-SA/EP showed obvious temperature response at 25°C, 30°C and 35°C, the cumulative release rate (CRR) of 200 h were 33.38%, 41.50% and 51.17%, respectively. When pH = 5, the CRR of FOS was higher than that of pH = 7, and the CRR of FOS for 200 h were 49.01% and 30.12%, respectively. At different temperatures and pH = 5, the release mechanism of FOS-SA/EP belongs to the Fickian diffusion mechanism; When pH = 7, the diffusion mechanism is dominant, and the dissolution mechanism is complementary.

Ефективність застосування гербіцидів в розсаднику при вирощуванні саджанців плодових культур

The results of research on the effectiveness of the use of soil and contact herbicides when growing one-year seedlings in the second field of the nursery are presented. When growing apple seedlings, a positive result was obtained on average over the years of research with the application of soil pesticides Lumax and Zenkor, especially with additional application during the growing season of contact – Fusilada or Targa super. In some years, a good result was also obtained when Stomp and Devrinol were applied, while in others, the suppression of planting material was noted. Practically similar results were obtained when they were introduced in the process of growing plum seedlings. It is also worth noting Lumax, when applying which the diameter of the stem (by 2-6 mm), the height of the seedlings (by 40-60 cm) were greater than in other options with the optimal number of side branches (4-6 pcs.) and their average length (40-80 cm). Plum seedlings were depressed when Devrinol, Zenkor and Gezagard were applied, and in a separate year, Stompa and Dual Gold. In studies with cherry seedlings, they had active growth when applying soil herbicides Gezagard and Zenkor, as well as when combining the former with contact Fuzilad and Targa Super. Seedlings were significantly suppressed when applying other studied herbicides, especially Dual Gold, both alone and in combination with contact herbicides, while the number of branched seedlings decreased. Most herbicides did not have a negative effect on the biometric indicators of cherry seedlings. slight inhibition of growth and the number of side branches was noted when Stomp and Dual Gold were applied. In advance, it is possible to highlight the application of Devrinol, Zencor and Lumax separately without combining with the application of contact herbicides. Key words: seedlings, apple, plum, cherry, sweet cherry, soil herbicides, contact herbicides, biometric indicators.

Can Sclerotinia stem and root rot be managed effectively without causing environmental imbalance in soil?

Sclerotinia stem and root rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is considered to be an important soil-borne disease of over 400 plant species, including a wide range of species important for agriculture. In vitro and in vivo sensitivity of S. sclerotiorum to several commercial fungicides and biofungicides was studied. The highest efficacy was achieved by boscalid (98%) and fluopyram (80%), and the lowest by a B. subtilis-based product (5%). The isolate was sensitive to all tested products in vitro. Considering the tested synthetic fungicides, fluopyram exhibited the highest toxicity (EC50=0.003 mg/l), while captan exhibited the lowest (EC50=8.94mg/l). Even lower efficacy was achieved by tea tree oil and B. subtilis-based products. The environmental impact of pesticides and biopesticides used for Sclerotinia control was assessed. Modeling of predicted environmental concentrations in soil (PECsoil), coupled with literature toxicity data, served for assessment of pesticides soil risks. A high long-term risk for earthworms was revealed for captan and thiophanate-methyl. Based on both efficacy and risk assessment results, fluopyram was found to have the best properties of all tested conventional pesticides, while tea tree oil exerted better performance than the Bacillus product. Further investigation of combined use of conventional and biopesticides might reveal new perspectives regarding effective Sclerotinia control, while simultaneously reducing negative environmental impact.