Acetamiprid fate in a sandy loam with contrasting soil organic matter contents: A comparison of the degradation, sorption and leaching of commercial neonicotinoid formulations

Field-realistic doses of the neonicotinoid acetamiprid impact natural soil arthropod community diversity and structure

The neonicotinoid acetamiprid is used as a foliar insecticide spray, which results in direct exposure of a wide variety of soil organisms. Laboratory testing indicated that acetamiprid is toxic to the Collembola (springtails) species Folsomia candida, while Acari (mites) seem relatively insensitive to neonicotinoids. Since such opposing effects on different soil arthropods might imbalance natural arthropod communities, this study determined: (i) if field-realistic doses of acetamiprid affect the abundance and diversity in soil arthropod communities, and (ii) whether these potential effects are short-term or persist after degradation of acetamiprid. Intact soil cores collected from an untreated grassland field were placed in the mesocosm set up 'CLIMECS', and the naturally sourced communities were exposed to a control and increasing field-realistic doses of acetamiprid (i.e. 0, 0.05, 0.2, 0.8 mg a.s./kg dry soil). Before and 7 and 54 days after spraying the insecticide, the abundance of mites and springtails and springtail diversity were assessed. Springtail and mite abundances were similar at the start of the experiment, but springtail abundance was significantly lowered while mite abundance increased shortly after exposure to increasing doses of acetamiprid. At the highest dose, springtail numbers decreased by 53% on average while the number of mites increased by 26%. This effect was no longer visible after 54 days, suggesting recovery of the community as a whole reflected by observed changes in community dissimilarity: shortly after application springtail communities clearly diverged from the control in terms of species composition, while communities converged again in the long-term. With our results, we are the first to show that field-realistic applications of N-nitroguanidine neonicotinoids can significantly impact natural soil fauna communities, which might have implications for soil ecosystem functioning.

Exposure to an insecticide formulation alters chemosensory orientation, but not floral scent detection, in buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

Although pesticide-free techniques have been developed in agriculture, pesticides are still routinely used against weeds, pests, and pathogens worldwide. These agrochemicals pollute the environment and can negatively impact human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Acetamiprid, an approved neonicotinoid pesticide in the EU, may exert sub-lethal effects on pollinators and other organisms. However, our knowledge on the scope and severity of such effects is still incomplete. Our experiments focused on the effects of the insecticide formulation Mospilan (active ingredient: 20% acetamiprid) on the peripheral olfactory detection of a synthetic floral blend and foraging behaviour of buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) workers. We found that the applied treatment did not affect the antennal detection of the floral blend; however, it induced alterations in their foraging behaviour. Pesticide-treated individuals started foraging later, and the probability of finding the floral blend was lower than that of the control bumblebees. However, exposed bumblebees found the scent source faster than the controls. These results suggest that acetamiprid-containing Mospilan may disrupt the activity and orientation of foraging bumblebees. We hypothesize that the observed effects of pesticide exposure on foraging behaviour could be mediated through neurophysiological and endocrine mechanisms. We propose that future investigations should clarify whether such sub-lethal effects can affect pollinators' population dynamics and their ecosystem services.

Remediation of neonicotinoid-contaminated soils using peanut shell biochar and composted chicken manure: Transformation mechanisms of geochemical fractions

Soil remediation techniques are promising approaches to relieve the adverse environmental impacts in soils caused by neonicotinoids application. This study systematically investigated the remediation mechanisms for peanut shell biochar (PSB) and composted chicken manure (CCM) on neonicotinoid-contaminated soils from the perspective of transformation of geochemical fractions by combining a 3-step sequential extraction procedure and non-steady state model. The neonicotinoid geochemical fractions were divided into labile, moderate-adsorbed, stable-adsorbed, bound, and degradable fractions. The PSB and CCM addition stimulated the neonicotinoid transformation in soils from labile fraction to moderate-adsorbed and stable-adsorbed fractions. Compared with unamended soils, the labile fractions decreased from 47.6% ± 11.8% of the initial concentrations to 12.1 ± 9.3% in PSB-amended soils, and 7.1 ± 4.9% in PSB and CCM-amended soils, while the proportions of moderate-adsorbed and stable-adsorbed fractions correspondingly increased by 1.8-2.4 times and 2.3-4.8 times, respectively. A small proportion (<4.8%) in bound fractions suggested there were rather limited bound-residues after 48 days incubation. The PSB stimulated the -NO2-containing neonicotinoid-degraders, which promoted the degradable fractions of corresponding neonicotinoids by 8.2 ± 6.3%. Degradable fraction of neonicotinoids was the dominant fate in soils, which accounted for 58.3 ± 16.7%. The findings made beneficial theoretical supplements and provided valuable empirical evidence for the remediation of neonicotinoid-contaminated soils.

Spatiotemporal dynamics and modeling of thiacloprid in paddy multimedia systems with the effect of wetting-drying cycles

The widespread presence of thiacloprid (THI), a neonicotinoid, raises concerns for human health and the aquatic environment due to its persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. The fate of THI in paddy multimedia systems is mainly governed by irrigation practices, but the potential impacts remain poorly documented. This study investigated the effects of water management practices on THI spatiotemporal dynamics in paddy multimedia systems by combining soil column experiments and a non-steady-state multimedia model. The results indicated the wetting-drying cycle (WDC) irrigation reduced THI occurrences in environmental phases (i.e., soil, interstitial water, and overlying water) and accelerated the THI loss through the THI aerobic degradation process. THI occurrences in the soil and water phases decreased from 18.8% for conventional flooding (CF) treatment to 9.2% for severe wetting-drying cycle (SW) treatment after 29 days, while the half-lives shortened from 11.1 days to 7.3 days, respectively. Meanwhile, the WDC decreased THI outflow from leakage water, which reduced the THI risk of leaching. There was no significant difference in THI plant uptake and volatilization between CF and WDC treatments. The mean proportions of THI fate in paddy multimedia systems followed the order: THI degradation (57.7%), outflow from leakage water (25.5%), occurrence in soil (12.4%), plant uptake (3.4%), occurrence in interstitial water (0.7%), occurrence in overlying water (0.3%), volatilization (<0.1%) after 29 days. The sensitivity analysis identified the soil organic carbon partition coefficient (KOC) as the most sensitive parameter affecting THI's fate. In addition, the topsoil layers of 0-4 cm were the main sink of THI, holding 67% of THI occurrence in the soil phase. The THI occurrence in interstitial water was distributed evenly throughout the soil profile. These findings made beneficial theoretical supplements and provided valuable empirical evidence for water management practices to reduce the THI ecological risk.

Nano-based smart formulations: A potential solution to the hazardous effects of pesticide on the environment

Inefficient usage, overdose, and post-application losses of conventional pesticides have resulted in severe ecological and environmental issues, such as pesticide resistance, environmental contamination, and soil degradation. Advances in nano-based smart formulations are promising novel methods to decrease the hazardous impacts of pesticide on the environment. In light of the lack of a systematic and critical summary of these aspects, this work has been structured to critically assess the roles and specific mechanisms of smart nanoformulations (NFs) in mitigating the adverse impacts of pesticide on the environment, along with an evaluation of their final environmental fate, safety, and application prospects. Our study provides a novel perspective for a better understanding of the potential functions of smart NFs in reducing environmental pollution. Additionally, this study offers meaningful information for the safe and effective use of these nanoproducts in field applications in the near future.

Novel Insights into the Influence of Soil Microstructure Characteristics on the Migration and Residue of Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid

Understanding the influence of soil microstructure on light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) behavior is critical for predicting the formation of residual LNAPLs under spill condition. However, the roles of soil particle and pore on LNAPLs migration and residue remains unclear. Here, the experiment simulated an LNAPLs (diesel) spill that was performed in fourteen types of soils, and the key factors affecting diesel behavior are revealed. There were significant differences between fourteen types of soils, with regard to the soil particle, soil pore, and diesel migration and residue. After 72 h of leakage, the migration distance of diesel ranged from 3.42 cm to 8.82 cm in the soils. Except for sandy soil, diesel was mainly distributed in the 0−3 cm soil layer, and the residual amounts were 7.85−26.66 g/kg. It was further confirmed from microstructure that the consistency of soil particle and volume of soil macropores (0.05−7.5 μm) are important for diesel residue in the 0−1 cm soil layer and migration distance. The large soil particles corresponding to 90% of volume fraction and volume of soil mesopores (<0.05 μm) are key factors affecting diesel residue in the 1−3 cm soil layer. The result helps to further comprehend the formation mechanism of residual LNAPLs in the soil.