The Environmentally Benign form of Pesticide in Hydrodispersive Nanometric form with Improved Efficacy Against Adult Mosquitoes at Low Exposure Concentrations

Enhanced mosquitocidal efficacy of colloidal dispersion of pyrethroid nanometric emulsion with benignity towards non-target species

The rising threat of vector-borne diseases and environmental pollution has instigated the investigation of nanotechnology-based applications. The current study deals with a nanotechnological application involving the usage of nanometric pesticides such as permethrin nanoemulsion. The mean droplet diameter and zeta potential of the prepared permethrin nanoemulsion were found to be 12.4 ± 1.13 nm and -20.4 ± 0.56 mV, respectively. The temporal stability of permethrin nanoemulsion was found to be 4 days when checked in the external environment. The permethrin nanoemulsion exhibited LC₅₀ values of 0.038 and 0.047 mgL-1 and 0.049 and 0.063 mgL^-1 against larval and pupal stages of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Aedes aegypti, respectively. The results obtained from the larvicidal and pupicidal assay were corroborated with the histopathological and biochemical profiles of hosts upon treatment with nanometric pesticide. Further, the biosafety studies of the nanopesticide were carried out against different non-target species like freshwater algae (Closterium), Cicer arietinum (Chickpea) and Danio rerio (Zebrafish), and the mosquitocidal concentration of nanopesticide was found to be non-toxic. The following study, therefore, describes the mosquitocidal efficacy of nanometric pesticide formulated in a greener approach, which can become a substitute for conventional pesticide application in an eco-benign manner.

A critical evaluation of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers against their conventional analogues

Among a wide range of possible applications of nanotechnology in agriculture, there has been a particular interest in developing novel nanoagrochemicals. While some concerns have been expressed regarding altered risk profile of the new products, many foresee a great potential to support the necessary increase in global food production in a sustainable way. A critical evaluation of nanoagrochemicals against conventional analogues is essential to assess the associated benefits and risks. In this assessment, recent literature was critically analysed to determine the extent to which nanoagrochemicals differ from conventional products. Our analysis was based on 78 published papers and shows that median gain in efficacy relative to conventional products is about 20-30%. Environmental fate of agrochemicals can be altered by nanoformulations, but changes may not necessarily translate in a reduction of the environmental impact. Many studies lacked nano-specific quality assurance and adequate controls. Currently, there is no comprehensive study in the literature that evaluates efficacy and environmental impact of nanoagrochemicals under field conditions. This is a crucial knowledge gap and more work will thus be necessary for a sound evaluation of the benefits and new risks that nanoagrochemicals represent relative to existing products.

Biological nanopesticides: a greener approach towards the mosquito vector control

Mosquitoes, being a vector for some potentially dreadful diseases, pose a considerable threat to people all around the world. The control over the growth and propagation of mosquitoes comprises conventional pesticides, insect growth regulators and other microbial control agents. However, the usage of these common chemicals and conventional pesticides eventually has a negative impact on human health as well as the environment, which therefore becomes a major concern. The lacuna allows nanotechnology to come into action and exploit nanopesticides. Nanopesticides are majorly divided into two categories-synthetic and biological. Several nanoformulations serve as a promising nanopesticide viz. nanoparticles, e.g. biologically synthesised nanoparticles through plant extracts, nanoemulsions prepared using the essential oils like neem oil and citronella oil and nanoemulsion of conventional pesticides like pyrethroids. These green approaches of synthesising nanopesticides make use of non-toxic and biologically derived compounds and hence are eco-friendly with a better target specificity. Even though there are numerous evidences to show the effectiveness of these nanopesticides, very few efforts have been made to study the possible non-target effects on other organisms prevalent in the aquatic ecosystem. This study focuses on the role of these nanopesticides towards the vector control and its eco-safe property against the other non-target species.

Stability of nano-sized permethrin in its colloidal state and its effect on the physiological and biochemical profile of Culex tritaeniorhynchus larvae

The occurrence of pesticidal pollution in the environment and the resistance in the mosquito species makes an urge for the safer and an effective pesticide. Permethrin, a poorly water-soluble pyrethroid pesticide, was formulated into a hydrodispersible nanopowder through rapid solvent evaporation of pesticide-loaded oil in water microemulsion. Stability studies confirmed that the nanopermethrin dispersion was stable in paddy field water for 5 days with the mean particle sizes of 175.3 ± 0.75 nm and zeta potential of -30.6 ± 0.62 mV. The instability rate of the nanopermethrin particles was greater in alkaline (pH 10) medium when compared with the neutral (pH 7) and acidic (pH 4) dispersion medium. The colloidal dispersion at 45°C was found to be less stable compared with the dispersions at 25 and 5°C. The 12- and 24-h lethal indices (LC50) for nanopermethrin were found to be 0.057 and 0.014 mg l-1, respectively. These results were corroborative with the severity of damages observed in the mosquito larvae manifested in epithelial cells and the evacuation of the midgut contents. Further, the results were substantiated by the decrease in cellular biomolecules and biomarker enzyme activity in nanopermethrin treated larvae when compared to bulk and control treatment.

Environmental benignity of a pesticide in soft colloidal hydrodispersive nanometric form with improved toxic precision towards the target organisms than non-target organisms

Mosquito-borne diseases are of major concern as they cause devastating health effects, morbidity, and mortality in the human population. Conventional pesticides have failed to curb the mosquito population due to the development of insensitivity in mosquitoes. Hence, higher dosages of pesticides along with their toxic solubilizers have been employed, which have led to raise in pesticide pollution load, environmental toxicity, and human health concerns. As a realisation for the requirement of alternative pesticides, the present study has involved in the formulation of a hydrodispersive nanometric colloidal form of deltamethrin (NDM), a type-II pyrethroid pesticide, from its hydroimmisicible parental form (PDM). The mean hydrodynamic diameter of the droplets was found to be 30.6±4.6nm by dynamic light scattering study (DLS). High-resolution transmission electron micrographs have revealed the spherical structure of the droplets with a size range of 35-40nm. The NDM was found to possess sedimentation resistance, intrinsic and hydrodispersive stability. The toxicity of NDM and PDM was comparatively investigated on target organisms (Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes) and non-target organisms (Allium cepa - Bioindicator of toxicants and Rhizobium sp. - Soil bacteria). As comparative to PDM, NDM has exerted higher efficacy on adult mosquito and larval population, even at low-level concentrations. However, in the case of non-target organisms, the NDM toxicity was lower than PDM. Comprehensively, the study has concluded the potential advantage of formulating conventional pesticides into nanometric soft colloidal form for the improved toxic precision on target organisms (mosquitoes). This ensures the ability of NDM to combat against the mosquito population even at lower concentrations, thereby reducing the pesticide exposure load towards the environment and human population.