Pesticide contamination in agro-ecosystems: toxicity, impacts, and bio-based management strategies

Phytoremediation of pesticide-contaminated freshwaters by aquatic plants: a meta-analysis

In the last decade, water contamination by pesticides has become a global concern, and phytoremediation has gained increasing attention. This approach is cost-effective and ecologically beneficial, revealing the abilities of plants to remove, detoxify, or immobilize environmental contaminants. Despite the growing number of publications, some questions remain: (i) How effectively do aquatic plants reduce pesticides in water? (ii) How is the effectiveness of water phytoremediation influenced by plant characteristics, pesticide properties, and environmental/experimental conditions? To answer those questions, we conducted a meta-analysis with 405 extracted pairs of data points from 56 studies to systematically analyze and explore the efficiency of pesticide removal by aquatic plants. We found that, compared to the control without plants, aquatic vegetation increases pesticide removal from water by 38.86 % (95 % CI = 31.50-46.21 %). We conducted subgroup and meta-regression analyses to identify factors influencing the global effect size. The taxonomy (order) and the life form of the plants did not significantly influence the degree of pesticide removal. The removal efficiency was influenced by pesticides' type/mode of action, with insecticides being less efficiently removed than other pesticides. Additionally, we observed higher phytoremediation efficiency with increasing log KOW (lipophilicity), molecular mass, and in experiments conducted with contaminant mixtures. Environmental conditions also influenced removal efficiency, with higher temperatures and light intensity enhancing phytoremediation. Our results provide insights into the key factors determining the success of phytoremediation in aquatic environments contaminated by pesticides, thereby guiding decision-making on using this technology and directing new research toward developing strategies to enhance its effectiveness.

Assessment of genetic damage levels in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides in Paraíba, Brazil

Pesticide use has transformed agriculture, but improper handling poses serious health and environmental risks. Brazil, a top global pesticide consumer, faces alarming unapproved usage-nearly 80% of pesticides sold lack approval in at least three OECD countries. This study investigates genotoxic effects on farmers in Paraíba, Brazil, analyzing buccal mucosa cells for DNA and cellular damage. Using the Buccal Micronucleus Cytome (BMCyt) assay and comet assay, we compared 33 pesticide-exposed farmers to 29 controls. The findings revealed significantly higher frequencies of cellular alterations and DNA damage among exposed farmers relative to the control group, with no significant impact from factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or family cancer history. These results underscore the genotoxic risks linked to prolonged pesticide exposure and highlight the necessity for stricter regulatory measures as well as the need for further large-scale studies to mitigate health risks within agricultural communities.

Global Research Hotspots and Progress on Acrylamide: Visualization Analysis

Acrylamide is a contaminant prevalent in many commonly consumed foods, contributing to unavoidable human exposure. It is recognized as likely to be carcinogenic to humans as well, provoking global concerns. Numerous studies have investigated the impacts of acrylamide formation on food and drink, nutrition, and health. The intent of this analysis is to quantify global acrylamide research, evaluate recent developments, and recognize emerging trends, along with assessing research dynamics as an indicator of innovation among the scientific community. The Scopus database was used to perform an in-depth investigation of scientific publications on acrylamide from 1949 to 2023. Exploring prominent topics and the knowledge network related to the topic was conducted via VOSviewer version 1.6.20. Additionally, using SciMAT software, intellectual analysis was conducted to identify both driving and emerging themes in acrylamide-related research. A total of 11 880 publications on acrylamide were identified, with 10 720 (90.24%) being original articles. The leading contributors in terms of publication output were China (n = 2452; 20.64%), followed by the USA (n = 1564; 13.16%), and India (n = 952; 8.01%). The predominant themes were associated with (a) the functionalization of acrylamide polymers and (b) the formation and mitigation of acrylamide in food and drinks. Driving themes that will continue to shape the future of acrylamide research involve unraveling the synthesis of acrylamide; deploying acrylamide in nanocomposites to increase contaminant removal; investigating the genotoxicity of acrylamide, as well as its carcinogenic, reproductive, and neurotoxic effects; and researching the adsorption characteristics of acrylamide in aqueous solutions. In particular, an increased focus has been placed on understanding the formation and mitigation of acrylamide in recent years, signifying increased attention and alignment with the latest scientific advancements in this field. The creation of research plans in this way is significant, particularly in shaping future health policies.

Parasitism by Entomopathogenic Fungi and Insect Host Defense Strategies

Entomopathogenic fungi, a group of insect pathogens, are characterized by high insecticidal efficacy and minimal environmental impact. They are commonly used as biopesticides for pest control due to their significant practical value. We here classify entomopathogenic fungi according to the process of fungal infection in hosts, changes in host behavior during infection, and mechanisms of spore transmission, and review the strategies employed by insects to resist infection, including physical barrier defenses, immune system defenses, and behavioral avoidance of fungal pathogens. This review also discusses the pathogenic mechanisms of fungi on insects and the closely linked co-evolution between fungal pathogens and insect defenses. In conclusion, a perspective on future research is provided, emphasizing the impact of insect population density and spore concentration in the environment on disease outbreaks.

Sulfonyl-acetohydrazide derivatives as juvenile hormone mimics to be insect growth regulators

The need for targeted pest control strategies has led to the development of juvenile hormone (JH) mimics that selectively disrupt the life cycles of harmful insect species. Present study focuses on the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of sulfonyl-acetohydrazide derivatives (H1-H8) as novel JH mimics on two different insect species, with an emphasis on their insect-specific action. The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti and cabbage leaf borer, Spodoptera litura, were selected for this investigation. Our results indicate that while these compounds exhibit negligible effects on the development of Aedes aegypti, they demonstrate a potent and specific action against Spodoptera litura. The sulfonyl-acetohydrazide derivatives induced significant developmental abnormalities and increased mortality rates in Spodoptera litura larvae, leading to a marked disruption in their life cycle. Additionally, Density Functional Theory methods were employed to elucidate the electronic structure and corelate the reactivity of the synthesized compounds with the insect growth regulating activity (IGR). The DNA-binding study of synthesized JH analogs has been carried out using UV-vis spectroscopy for toxicity assessment against biomolecule DNA. All the synthesized JH analogs (H1-H8) show IGR action and exhibit better reactivity and reduced toxicity as compared to the commercial in use IGR, pyriproxyfen.

Pesticide pollution: toxicity, sources and advanced remediation approaches

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that food production must rise by 70% to meet the demands of an additional 2.3 billion people by 2050. This forecast underscores the persistent reliance on pesticides, making it essential to assess their toxicity and develop effective remediation strategies. Given the widespread utilisation of pesticides, it requires an urgent need to evaluate their toxicity and explore feasible remediation approaches for their removal. Hence, this review provides an overview of the latest information on the presence, distribution, sources, fate, and trends of pesticides in global environmental matrices, emphasizing the ecological and health risks posed by pesticide pollution. Currently, the dominant remediation techniques encompass physical, chemical, and biological methods, yet studies focusing on advanced remediation techniques remain limited. This review critically evaluates both newer and traditional approaches to pesticide removal, offering a descriptive and analytical comparison of various methods. The selection of the appropriate treatment method depends largely on the nature of the pesticide and the effectiveness of the chosen technique. In many cases, technologies such as membrane bioreactors and the fenton process could be integrated with biological technologies to enhance performance and overcome limitations. The study concludes that a hybrid approach combining various remediation strategies offers the most effective and sustainable solution for pesticide removal. Finally, the review underscores the need for further scientific investigation into the most viable technologies while discussing the challenges and prospects of developing safe, reliable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly methods for removing pesticides from the environment.

Analysis on pollutants removal and sludge characteristics of a novel two-phase anaerobic/aerobic/integrated deoxygenated and anoxic reactor associated with membrane process for treating pesticide wastewater

Most frequently used biological method was improved anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A/A/O) process for treating actual pesticide wastewater presently. However, the effluent results were far away from what the national standard expects due to pesticide wastewater characteristics of high COD concentration, high total nitrogen (TN) concentration and high toxicity. In this study, a novel two-phase anaerobic/aerobic/integrated deoxygenated and anoxic reactor associated with membrane process (P1) were regarded as excellent candidates for the treatment of pesticide wastewater, compared the removal efficiency of pollutants with improved A/A/O process (P2) under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Effluent ethylene thiourea (ETU) concentration was reduced effectively by 67.1 % in P1. The average cyanide (CN-) effluent concentration in P1 and P2 was 0.40 mg/L and 6.67 mg/L, respectively. During the entire HRT change period, P1 significantly increased the biological oxygen demand (BOD5) removal efficiency by 12.98 %. The average effluent COD concentration of P1 was 36.41 mg/L, while that of P2 was 984.42 mg/L. In addition, TN removal efficiency of P1 exhibited distinct superiority. When HRT was 72 h, the average TN effluent concentration of P1 and P2 was 12.67 mg/L and 67.66 mg/L. The sludge performance indicators have been determined and results showed that the sludge viscosity of the membrane reactor in P1 had merely 32.6 % higher than that of the secondary sedimentation tank in P2, and the average vertical displacement of sludge settleability in P1 was 23.0 % slight lower than that of P2. The overall sludge performance proved that higher sludge concentration was allowed in P1. Moreover, experiment improved nitrite reductase (NIR) and nitrate reductase (NAR) in P1 were less susceptible to be suppressed by ETU and CN- increase compared with P2. Finally, the positive correlation relationship of sludge settleability with ETU and CN- has been identified successfully in P1.

Pre-emergence herbicides used in urban and agricultural settings: dissipation and ecological implications

Herbicides are widely recognized as the most cost-effective solution for weed control, but their extensive use in both urban and agricultural settings raise serious concerns about nontarget effects. We assessed the possible hazards associated with pre-emergence herbicides such as dimethenamid-P, metazachlor, and pyroxasulfone, which are frequently applied in both urban and agricultural soils. The dissipation rate constant values (k day-1: 0.010-0.024) were positively linked to total organic carbon (TOC), silt, clay, soil pH, and Al and Fe oxides, but negatively correlated with sand content. In contrast, half-life values (DT50: 29-69 days) of the herbicides showed negative correlations with TOC, clay, silt, soil pH, and Fe and Al oxides, while sand content showed a positive impact. The selected herbicides showed minimal impact on soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA). Mostly, soils with higher organic matter (OM) content exhibited increased DHA levels, highlighting the role of OM in influencing this soil enzyme across different soils. Assessment of environmental indicators like groundwater ubiquity score (GUS:1.69-6.30) and leachability index (LIX: 0.23-0.97) suggested that the herbicides might reach groundwater, posing potential risks to nontarget biota and food safety. Human non-cancer risk evaluation, in terms of hazard quotient (HQ < 1) and hazard index (HI < 1), suggests minimal or no risks from exposure to soil containing herbicide residues at 50% of the initial concentrations. Our data thus help the stakeholders and regulatory agencies while applying these pre-emergence herbicides in soils and safeguarding human and environmental health.

Ecological consequences of antimicrobial residues and bioactive chemicals on antimicrobial resistance in agroecosystems

BACKGROUND

The widespread use of antimicrobials in agriculture, coupled with bioactive chemicals like pesticides and growth-promoting agents, has accelerated the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Agroecosystems provides a platform in the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which pose significant threats to both environmental and public health.

AIM OF REVIEW

This review explores the ecological consequences of antimicrobial residues and bioactive chemicals in agroecosystems, with a focus on their role in shaping AMR. It delves into the mechanisms by which these substances enter agricultural environments, their interactions with soil microbiomes, and the subsequent impacts on microbial community structure.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW

Evidence indicates that the accumulation of antimicrobials promotes resistance gene transfer among microorganisms, potentially compromising ecosystem health and agricultural productivity. By synthesizing current research, we identify critical gaps in knowledge and propose strategies for mitigating the ecological risks associated with antimicrobial residues. Moreover, this review highlights the urgent need for integrated management approaches to preserve ecosystem health and combat the spread of AMR in agricultural settings.

Perspectives on the Toxic Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics on the Environment: A Bibliometric Analysis of the 2014 to 2023 Period

Over the past decade, micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) have garnered significant attention due to their frequent detection in and potential toxic effects on the environment and organisms, making them a serious threat to human health. To comprehensively understand the research on MNPs' toxicity, we employed the R language-based Bibliometrix toolkit (version 4.3.0), VOSviewer (version 1.6.11) and CiteSpace (version 6.3.R1) to perform statistical and visual analyses of 3541 articles pertaining to MNPs' toxicity between 2014 and 2023, which were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. The analysis revealed that research related to MNPs' toxicity has experienced a rapid increase in recent years. China's particularly prominent influence in the field of MNPs' toxicity is evidenced by its academic exchanges and the establishment of a mature cooperation system with other countries (regions), such as the USA and Germany. Studies related to MNPs' toxicity are primarily published in leading journals, including the Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Pollution, and the Journal of Hazardous Materials. The Chinese Academy of Sciences was identified as the leading institution in terms of research on MNPs' toxicity, contributing 203 papers to the total number of studies published. Keyword co-occurrence and burst analyses indicated that the current research on MNPs' toxicity mainly focuses on the toxic effects of MNPs on aquatic organisms, the combined toxicity of MNPs and other contaminants, and the toxic effects and mechanisms of MNPs. Future research should integrate computational toxicology and toxicomics to enhance our understanding of MNPs' toxicity mechanisms and assess the potential health risks posed by atmospheric MNPs.

Kinetic and Mechanistic Modelling of Pyrimethanil Fungicide Adsorption onto Soils of Varying Physico-chemical Properties

Pesticide transport in the environment is impacted by the kinetics of its adsorption onto soil. The adsorption kinetics of pyrimethanil was investigated in ten soil samples of varying physicochemical properties. The highest adsorption was in the soil having the maximum silt and CaCO3 contents, pH and electrical conductance but the lowest amorphous Fe oxides and CaCl2 extractable Mn. Pseudo-second order kinetics and intra-particle diffusion model best accounted the adsorption kinetics of pyrimethanil. The equilibrium adsorption estimated by pseudo-second order kinetics (q02) was significantly and positively correlated with CaCl2 extractable Cu content (r = 0.709) while rate coefficient (k02) had a negative correlation with crystalline iron oxides content (r = -0.675). The intra-particle diffusion coefficient (ki.d.) had inverse relationship with CaCl2 extractable Mn content in soils (r = -0.689). FTIR spectra showed a significant interaction of pyrimethanil with micronutrient cations. Adsorption kinetic parameters of pyrimethanil could be successfully predicted by soil properties. The findings may help to evolve fungicide management decisions.

Pesticides impacts on human health and the environment with their mechanisms of action and possible countermeasures

Pesticides are chemical constituents used to prevent or control pests, including insects, rodents, fungi, weeds, and other unwanted organisms. Despite their advantages in crop production and disease management, the use of pesticides poses significant hazards to the environment and public health. Pesticide elements have now perpetually entered our atmosphere and subsequently contaminated water, food, and soil, leading to health threats ranging from acute to chronic toxicities. Pesticides can cause acute toxicity if a high dose is inhaled, ingested, or comes into contact with the skin or eyes, while prolonged or recurrent exposure to pesticides leads to chronic toxicity. Pesticides produce different types of toxicity, for instance, neurotoxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and endocrine disruption. The toxicity of a pesticide formulation may depend on the specific active ingredient and the presence of synergistic or inert compounds that can enhance or modify its toxicity. Safety concerns are the need of the hour to control contemporary pesticide-induced health hazards. The effectiveness and implementation of the current legislature in providing ample protection for human health and the environment are key concerns. This review explored a comprehensive summary of pesticides regarding their updated impacts on human health and advanced safety concerns with legislation. Implementing regulations, proper training, and education can help mitigate the negative impacts of pesticide use and promote safer and more sustainable agricultural practices.

Strategies for mitigation of pesticides from the environment through alternative approaches: A review of recent developments and future prospects

Chemical-based peticides are having negative impacts on both the healths of human beings and plants as well. The World Health Organisation (WHO), reported that each year, >25 million individuals in poor nations are having acute pesticide poisoning cases along with 20,000 fatal injuries at global level. Normally, only ∼0.1% of the pesticide reaches to the intended targets, and rest amount is expected to come into the food chain/environment for a longer period of time. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the amounts of pesticides present in the soil. Physical or chemical treatments are either expensive or incapable to do so. Hence, pesticide detoxification can be achieved through bioremediation/biotechnologies, including nano-based methodologies, integrated approaches etc. These are relatively affordable, efficient and environmentally sound methods. Therefore, alternate strategies like as advanced biotechnological tools like as CRISPR Cas system, RNAi and genetic engineering for development of insects and pest resistant plants which are directly involved in the development of disease- and pest-resistant plants and indirectly reduce the use of pesticides. Omics tools and multi omics approaches like metagenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics for the efficient functional gene mining and their validation for bioremediation of pesticides also discussed from the literatures. Overall, the review focuses on the most recent advancements in bioremediation methods to lessen the effects of pesticides along with the role of microorganisms in pesticides elimination. Further, pesticide detection is also a big challenge which can be done by using HPLC, GC, SERS, and LSPR ELISA etc. which have also been described in this review.

Developments in food neonicotinoids detection: novel recognition strategies, advanced chemical sensing techniques, and recent applications

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs) are a new class of neurotoxic pesticides primarily used for pest control on fruits and vegetables, cereals, and other crops after organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs), carbamate pesticides (CBPs), and pyrethroid pesticides. However, chronic abuse and illegal use have led to the contamination of food and water sources as well as damage to ecological and environmental systems. Long-term exposure to NEOs may pose potential risks to animals (especially bees) and even human health. Consequently, it is necessary to develop effective, robust, and rapid methods for NEOs detection. Specific recognition-based chemical sensing has been regarded as one of the most promising detection tools for NEOs due to their excellent selectivity, sensitivity, and robust interference resistance. In this review, we introduce the novel recognition strategies-enabled chemical sensing in food neonicotinoids detection in the past years (2017-2023). The properties and advantages of molecular imprinting recognition (MIR), host-guest recognition (HGR), electron-catalyzed recognition (ECR), immune recognition (IR), aptamer recognition (AR), and enzyme inhibition recognition (EIR) in the development of NEOs sensing platforms are discussed in detail. Recent applications of chemical sensing platforms in various food products, including fruits and vegetables, cereals, teas, honey, aquatic products, and others are highlighted. In addition, the future trends of applying chemical sensing with specific recognition strategies for NEOs analysis are discussed.

Airborne Pesticides-Deep Diving into Sampling and Analysis

The escalating utilization of pesticides has led to pronounced environmental contamination, posing a significant threat to agroecosystems. The extensive and persistent global application of these chemicals has been linked to a spectrum of acute and chronic human health concerns. This review paper focuses on the concentrations of airborne pesticides in both indoor and outdoor environments. The collection of diverse pesticide compounds from the atmosphere is examined, with a particular emphasis on active and passive air sampling techniques. Furthermore, a critical evaluation is conducted on the methodologies employed for the extraction and subsequent quantification of airborne pesticides. This analysis takes into consideration the complexities involved in ensuring accurate measurements, highlighting the advancements and limitations of current practices. By synthesizing these aspects, this review aims to foster a more comprehensive and informed comprehension of the intricate dynamics related to the presence and measurement of airborne pesticides. This, in turn, is poised to significantly contribute to the refinement of environmental monitoring strategies and the augmentation of precise risk assessments.

Empirical model to assess leaching of pesticides in soil under a steady-state flow and tropical conditions

Abstract

An empirical model of leaching of pesticides was developed to simulate the concentration of fungicides throughout unsaturated soil. The model was based on chemical reactions and the travel time of a conservative tracer to represent the travel time required for water to flow between soil layers. The model's performance was then tested using experimental data from dimethomorph and pyrimethanil applied to the soil under field and laboratory conditions. The empirical model simulated fungicide concentration on soil solids and in soil solution at different depths over time (mean square error between 2.9 mg2 kg-2 and 61mg2 kg-2) using sorption percentages and degradation rates under laboratory conditions. The sorption process was affected by the organic carbon, clay, and the effective cation exchange capacity of the soil. The degradation rate values of dimethomorph (0.039 d-1-0.009 d-1) and pyrimethanil (0.053 d-1-0.004 d-1) decreased from 0 to 40 cm and then remained constant in deeper soil layers (60-80 cm). Fungicide degradation was a critical input in the model at subsurface layers. The model was determined to be a reliable mathematical tool to estimate the leachability of pesticides in tropical soil under a steady-state flow. It may be extended to other substances and soils for environmental risk assessment projects.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13762-023-05038-w.

Plant Essential Oils as Biopesticides: Applications, Mechanisms, Innovations, and Constraints

The advent of the "Green Revolution" was a great success in significantly increasing crop productivity. However, it involved high ecological costs in terms of excessive use of synthetic agrochemicals, raising concerns about agricultural sustainability. Indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides resulted in environmental degradation, the development of pest resistance, and possible dangers to a variety of nontarget species (including plants, animals, and humans). Thus, a sustainable approach necessitates the exploration of viable ecofriendly alternatives. Plant-based biopesticides are attracting considerable attention in this context due to their target specificity, ecofriendliness, biodegradability, and safety for humans and other life forms. Among all the relevant biopesticides, plant essential oils (PEOs) or their active components are being widely explored against weeds, pests, and microorganisms. This review aims to collate the information related to the expansion and advancement in research and technology on the applications of PEOs as biopesticides. An insight into the mechanism of action of PEO-based bioherbicides, bioinsecticides, and biofungicides is also provided. With the aid of bibliometric analysis, it was found that ~75% of the documents on PEOs having biopesticidal potential were published in the last five years, with an annual growth rate of 20.51% and a citation per document of 20.91. Research on the biopesticidal properties of PEOs is receiving adequate attention from European (Italy and Spain), Asian (China, India, Iran, and Saudi Arabia), and American (Argentina, Brazil, and the United States of America) nations. Despite the increasing biopesticidal applications of PEOs and their widespread acceptance by governments, they face many challenges due to their inherent nature (lipophilicity and high volatility), production costs, and manufacturing constraints. To overcome these limitations, the incorporation of emerging innovations like the nanoencapsulation of PEOs, bioinformatics, and RNA-Seq in biopesticide development has been proposed. With these novel technological interventions, PEO-based biopesticides have the potential to be used for sustainable pest management in the future.