Distribution of pesticides in agricultural and urban soils of Brazil: a critical review

Performance insights into spray-dryer microencapsulated Bacillus thuringiensis cry pesticidal proteins with gum arabic and maltodextrin for effective pest control

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces crystals composed mainly of Cry pesticidal proteins with insecticidal activity against pests but are highly susceptible to degradation by abiotic factors. In this sense, encapsulation techniques are designed to improve their performance and lifetime. However, the effects of polymeric matrix encapsulation such as gum arabic and maltodextrin by spray-dryer in the mechanisms of action of Bt kurstaki and Bt aizawai are unknown. We analyzed crystal solubilization, protoxin activation, and receptor binding after microencapsulation and compared them with commercial non-encapsulated products. Microencapsulation did not alter protein crystal solubilization, providing 130 kDa (Cry1 protoxin) and 70 kDa (Cry2 protoxin). Activation with trypsin, chymotrypsin, and larval midgut juice was analyzed, showing that this step is highly efficient, and the protoxins were cleaved producing similar ~ 55 to 65 kDa activated proteins for both formulations. Binding assays with brush border membrane vesicles of Manduca sexta and Spodoptera frugiperda larvae provided a similar binding for both formulations. LC50 bioassays showed no significant differences between treatments but the microencapsulated treatment provided higher mortality against S. frugiperda when subjected to UV radiation. Microencapsulation did not affect the mechanism of action of Cry pesticidal proteins while enhancing protection against UV radiation. These data will contribute to the development of more efficient Bt biopesticide formulations. KEY POINTS: • Microencapsulation did not affect the mechanisms of action of Cry pesticidal proteins produced by Bt. • Microencapsulation provided protection against UV radiation for Bt-based biopesticides. • The study's findings can contribute to the development of more efficient Bt biopesticide formulations.

Effect of surfactants on the sorption-desorption, degradation, and transport of chlorothalonil and hydroxy-chlorothalonil in agricultural soils

The fungicide chlorothalonil (CTL) and its metabolite hydroxy chlorothalonil (OH-CTL) constitute a risk of soil and water contamination, highlighting the need to find suitable soil remediation methods for these compounds. Surfactants can promote the bioavailability of organic compounds for enhanced microbial degradation, but the performance depends on soil and surfactant properties, sorption-desorption equilibria of contaminants and surfactants, and possible adverse effects of surfactants on microorganisms. This study investigated the influence of five surfactants [e.g., Triton X-100 (TX-100), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA), Aerosol 22 and Tween 80] on the sorption-desorption, degradation, and mobility of CTL and OH-CTL in two volcanic and one non-volcanic soil. Sorption and desorption of fungicides depended on the sorption of surfactants on soils, surfactants' capacity to neutralize the net negative charge of soils, surfactants' critical micellar concentration, and pH of soils. HDTMA was strongly adsorbed on soils, which shifted the fungicide sorption equilibria by increasing the distribution coefficient (K_d) values. Contrarily, SDS and TX-100 lowered CTL and OH-CTL sorption on soils by decreasing the K_d values, which resulted in an efficient extraction of the fungicide compounds from soil. SDS increased the degradation of CTL, especially in the non-volcanic soil (DT₅₀ values were 14 and 7 days in natural and amended soils, with final residues <7% of the initial dose), whereas TX-100 enabled an early start and sustenance of OH-CTL degradation in all soils. CTL and OH-CTL stimulated soil microbial activities without noticeable deleterious effects of the surfactants. SDS and TX-100 also reduced the vertical transport of OH-CTL in soils. Results of this study could be extended to soils in other regions of the world because the tested soils represent widely different physical, chemical, and biological properties.

Degradation of four pesticides in five urban landscape soils: human and environmental health risk assessment

Pesticides are the most cost-effective means of pest control; however, the serious concern is about the non-target effects due to their extensive and intensive use in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. The degradation rate constant (k) and half-life (DT₅₀) of four commonly used pesticides, glyphosate, 2,4-D, chlorothalonil and dimethoate were determined in five Australian urban landscape soils, with varying physicochemical characteristics, to assess their environmental and human health risks. The k values (day^-1) for the selected pesticides were inversely proportional to those of organic carbon (OC), silt, clay and Fe and Al oxides, and directly proportional to pH and sand content in soils. In contrast, the calculated values of DT₅₀ (days) of all the four pesticides in five soils positively correlated with OC, clay, silt and oxides of Fe and Al, whereas soil pH and sand content exhibited a negative correlation. The calculated values of environmental indices, GUS and LIX, for the selected pesticides indicate their potential portability into water bodies, affecting non-target organisms as well as food safety. The evaluation for human non-cancer risk of these pesticides, based on the calculated values of hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI), suggested that exposure of adults and children to soils, contaminated with 50% of initially applied concentrations, through ingestion, dermal and inhalation pathways might cause negligible to zero non-carcinogenic risks. The present data might help the stakeholders in applying recommended doses of pesticides in urban landscapes and regulatory bodies concerned in monitoring the overall environmental quality and implementing safeguard policies. Our study also clearly demonstrates the need for developing improved formulations and spraying technologies for pesticides to minimize human and environmental health risks.

Metabolic Consequences of the Water We Drink: A Study Based on Field Evidence and Animal Model Experimentation

The effect of the chronic consumption of water contaminated with residual concentrations of DDT's metabolites (DDD-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane and DDE-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) found in the environment were evaluated on the biometric, hematological and antioxidant system parameters of the hepatic, muscular, renal and nervous tissues of Wistar rats. The results showed that the studied concentrations (0.002 mg.L^-1 of DDD plus 0.005 mg.L^-1 of DDE) could not cause significant changes in the hematological parameters. However, the tissues showed significant alteration in the activity of the antioxidant system represented by the increase in the activity of the enzymes gluthathione S-transferases in the liver, superoxide dismutase in the kidney, gluthathione peroxidase in the brain, and several changes in enzymatic activity in muscle (SOD, GPx and LPO). The enzymes alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) were also evaluated for the amino acids' metabolism in the liver, with ALT showing a significant increase in the exposed animals. In the integrative analysis of biomarkers (Permanova and PCOA), the studied concentrations showed possible metabolic changes and damage to cellular structures evidenced by increased oxidative stress and body weight gain among the treated animals. This study highlights the need for further studies on the impact of banned pesticides still present in soils that may induce adverse effects in organisms that may prevail in future generations and the environment.

Pesticides as endocrine disruptors: programming for obesity and diabetes

PURPOSE

Exposure to pesticides has been associated with obesity and diabetes in humans and experimental models mainly due to endocrine disruptor effects. First contact with environmental pesticides occurs during critical phases of life, such as gestation and lactation, which can lead to damage in central and peripheral tissues and subsequently programming disorders early and later in life.

METHODS

We reviewed epidemiological and experimental studies that associated pesticide exposure during gestation and lactation with programming obesity and diabetes in progeny.

RESULTS

Maternal exposure to organochlorine, organophosphate and neonicotinoids, which represent important pesticide groups, is related to reproductive and behavioral dysfunctions in offspring; however, few studies have focused on glucose metabolism and obesity as outcomes.

CONCLUSION

We provide an update regarding the use and metabolic impact of early pesticide exposure. Considering their bioaccumulation in soil, water, and food and through the food chain, pesticides should be considered a great risk factor for several diseases. Thus, it is urgent to reformulate regulatory actions to reduce the impact of pesticides on the health of future generations.

Screening safe pesticide application rates in crop fields for protecting consumer health: A backward model for interim recommended rates

To reduce human health risks and comply with regulatory standards, it is necessary to provide safe application rates of pesticides in crop fields. In this study, a screening-level model is proposed to improve the regulation of pesticide application rates based on the dynamiCrop platform, which can serve as a complementary approach to field trials for regulatory agencies. The screening-level model can conveniently simulate safe application rates of pesticides based on consumer health risks and maximum residue levels (MRLs). Using 2,4-D as an example, the simulation results agreed with the data of field trials under Good Agricultural Practices and demonstrated that current manufacturers' recommended application rates can effectively comply with MRLs and protect human health. In addition, we simulated the default safe application rates of 449 pesticides in five common crops using the default values of the acceptable daily intake (ADI; 0.01 mg kg^-1  day^-1 ) and MRL (0.01 mg kg^-1 ). The results demonstrated that aerial-fruit crops (e.g., tomatoes and apples) had much lower default safe application rates of pesticides than tuber crops due to the different pesticide uptake mechanisms of plants. In addition, the MRL-based default safe application rates were significantly lower than the ADI-based default rates, indicating that the default MRL of 0.01 mg kg^-1 adopted by current regulatory agencies is very conservative regarding population health risks. Although other factors, such as the variability of residue levels in crops, occupational exposure (farmers and operators), and multiple pesticide application patterns, need to be considered in future studies, our screening-level model could be used as a complementary tool in field trials to assist regulatory agencies in regulating pesticide application rates in crop fields. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:126-138. © 2022 SETAC.

Ecotoxicological effects of conventional herbicides and a natural herbicide on freshwater fish (Danio rerio)

The contamination of aquatic environments has increased over time, affecting environmental integrity and human health. Herbicides represent a source of this contamination, and among the most commercialized are the triazines and glyphosate. In contrast, there are natural herbicides, which are less harmful to the environment. The aim of this study was to verify the ecotoxicological effects of the conventional herbicides (Atrazine and Glyphosate) and a natural herbicide on Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Fish were exposed for 72 h to different concentrations of conventional herbicides (1, 65, and 5,000 µg L^-1) and the natural herbicide (0.62, 1.25, and 2.5 µg L^-1) in aquaria (20 L). At end of the experiment, blood was collected from the fish, and slides were prepared to verify the frequency of nuclear abnormalities and micronuclei. A greater number of morphological nuclear alterations were recorded in the conventional herbicide treatments. In addition, significant differences were observed in the composition of abnormalities between treatments. Atrazine and Glyphosate can cause greater damage in D. rerio, demonstrating potential toxicity at all concentrations applied. The natural herbicide showed less mutagenic potential and was less harmful to fish. Thus, natural herbicides can be a better option for the preservation of the environment.

A review toward contaminants of emerging concern in Brazil: Occurrence, impact and their degradation by advanced oxidation process in aquatic matrices

This work presents data regarding the occurrence and treatment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in Brazil in the past decade. The literature review (2011-2021) revealed the detection of 87 pharmaceutical drugs and personal care products, 58 pesticides, 8 hormones, 2 illicit drugs, caffeine and bisphenol A in distinct matrices (i.e.: wastewater, groundwater, sea water, rainwater, surface water, drinking water and hospital effluent). Concentrations of CECs varied from ng-μg L^-1 depending on the location, compound and matrix. The inefficiency of conventional wastewater treatment methods on the removal of CECs and lack of basic sanitation in some regions in the country aggravates contamination of Brazilian aquatic environments and poses potential environmental and health risks. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are pointed out as viable and efficient alternatives to degrade CECs and prevent environmental contamination. A total of 375 studies involving the use of AOPs in Brazilian aqueous matrices were published in the last decade. Fenton and photo-Fenton processes, photo-peroxidation, ozonation, electrochemical advanced oxidation and heterogeneous photocatalysis are some of the AOPs applied by Brazilian research groups. Although many works discuss the importance of applying these technologies for CECs removal in real treatment plants, most of these studies assess the treatment of distilled water or simulated effluent. Therefore, the conduction of studies applying AOPs in real matrices are critical to drive the implementation of these processes coupled to conventional water and wastewater treatment in real plants in order to prevent the contamination of environmental matrices by CECs in Brazil.

Simultaneous multi-residue pesticide analysis in southern Brazilian soil based on chemometric tools and QuEChERS-LC-DAD/FLD method

A simple and straightforward QuEChERS extraction method was proposed for the simultaneous determination of atrazine (ATZ), desethylatrazine (DEA), desisopropylatrazine (DIA), carbaryl (CBL), carbendazim (CBD), and diuron (DIU) in soil with high agricultural activity from southeastern Brazil, using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode-array detection/fluorescence detection. Screening studies carried out by 2⁴ factorial design indicate better recoveries when less sample (1.0 g) and the volume of solvent (2.0 mL of ACN) were applied, compared to the original QuEChERS method. Furthermore, interactions between factors were not negligible in the experimental set, except for ATZ and DIU, in which only water volume influenced their recovery. The influence of the type (primary secondary amine (PSA), C18, and Florisil) and the sorbent amount ratio to the compounds' concentration were also considered. PSA (25 mg) was selected as the best sorbent without losing analytical response. The limits of quantification (LOQ) were estimated to be 5.0 to 15 µg kg^-1 in the soil matrix. Analytical performances were consistent with linearity (R² ≥ 0.998), recovery from 74.7 to 108%, and relative standard deviations (RSD) between 2.6 and 20.2%. Robustness was assessed by fractional factorial Plackett-Burman design. The method is recommended for chemicals that are soluble in water, and it was successfully applied in the analysis of real soil samples containing the analytes in the range of μg kg^-1, proving to be suitable for the study of soils strongly impacted by agricultural activity.

How eco-efficient are crop farms in the Southern Amazon region? Insights from combining agent-based simulations with robust order-m eco-efficiency estimation

Agricultural production plays an essential role in food security and economic development, but given its direct links within the environment, it is also an important driver of environmental degradation. It has become essential to not only produce more crops but doing it while maintaining or reducing the respective environmental impacts. A promising method for evaluating production efficiency is the nonparametric eco-efficiency analysis, which compares the economic value added against a composite environmental pressure indicator. This article proposes a novel method of evaluating the eco-efficiency scores, which does not depend on field survey data, but rather on multi-agent simulations. We present the first estimates of eco-efficiency for crop farms in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes in Brazil, identify regions and farm profiles that could be the focus of targeted interventions, and evaluate whether eco-efficiency scores could be improved using an alternative scenario. We combine a biophysical model with bioeconomic agent-based simulations to mimic land-use decisions of real-world farms. We then estimate the efficiency scores with an enhanced order-m estimator that conditions the efficiency estimates on explanatory variables, thus producing robust efficiency measures. Our simulations reveal that there are indeed differences in eco-efficiency estimates between macro-regions in the federal state of Mato Grosso. According to our simulations, the Southeast exhibited the greatest occurrences of inefficiencies, followed by the West macro-region. In our life-cycle inventory, sunflower cultivation had the lowest levels of environmental pressures. However, when evaluating it in a prospective scenario of infrastructure development, we could not observe a positive impact on efficiency. By using efficient computational methods, we replicate our simulations many times to create robust estimates that are more representative than a single field survey. In addition, our novel method combines simulated farm data with eco-efficiency analyses, allowing ex-ante impact evaluations where policy interventions can be tested before their implementation.

Atrazine and Diuron Effects on Survival, Embryo Development, and Behavior in Larvae and Adult Zebrafish

Atrazine and Diuron are widely used herbicides. The use of pesticides contaminates the aquatic environment, threatening biodiversity and non-target organisms such as fish. In this study, we investigated the effects of acute exposure for 96 h hours to atrazine and diuron commercial formulations in zebrafish (Danio rerio, wild-type AB) embryos and larvae and adult stages. We observed a significant concentration-dependent survival decrease and hatching delays in animals exposed to both herbicides and in the frequency of malformations compared to the control groups. Morphological defects included cardiac edema, tail reduction, and head malformation. At 7 days post-fertilization (dpf), atrazine exposure resulted in a reduction in the head length at 2, 2.5, and 5 mg/L and increased the ocular distance at 1, 2, 2.5, and 5 mg/L atrazine when compared to controls. At the same age, diuron increased the ocular distance in animals exposed to diuron (1.0 and 1.5 mg/L) and no effects were observed on the head length. We also evaluated a behavioral repertoire in larvae at 7 dpf, and there were no significant differences in distance traveled, mean speed, time in movement, and thigmotaxis for atrazine and diuron when animals were individually placed in a new environment. The cognitive ability of the larvae was tested at 7 dpf for avoidance and optomotor responses, and neither atrazine nor diuron had significant impacts when treated groups were compared to their corresponding controls. Adults’ behavior was evaluated 7 and 8 days after the end of the acute herbicide exposure. Exploration of a new environment and associated anxiety-like parameters, social interaction, and aggressiveness were not altered. Our results highlight the need for further studies on the sublethal effects of both herbicides and the consideration of the effects of commercial formulas vs. isolated active ingredients. It also emphasizes the need to take sublethal effects into consideration when establishing the environmental limits of residues.

Improving pesticide fate models for a simple household food processing: considering multiple crop units

To understand the fate of pesticides in crops during household cooking processes and human health risks associated with the ingestion of pesticide-contaminated crops, we propose unit-variability-enhanced models, which are capable of evaluating the removal efficiency of pesticides in multiple crop units by soaking in water. The approach integrates the lognormal production model to reveal the modeling mechanics of internal contamination among two crop units in one soaking bowl. The simulated results for 197 pesticides indicate that pesticides with larger unit-to-unit variability factors (VF) at the residue levels and diffusivity rates in water (D_W) are more likely to cause internal contamination. Although internal contamination of pesticide residues between two crop units may occur, we find that the overall removal factor ([Formula: see text]) for two crop units is independent of the ratio of initial residue levels between the two crop units. Based on this discovery, we propose the unit-variability-based (UVB) rule to generalize the [Formula: see text] for an n-crop-unit system, where n crop units soak simultaneously in one container. In addition, we demonstrate that under the same consumable and recycling resources, the soaking of two crop units together in one container can yield a maximum mass removal of pesticides if the two units are randomly sampled. Although other factors, such as temperature and the nature of solutions in the cooking process, should be considered in future studies, our models suggest that this soaking method can be conveniently realized in households to reduce negative health effects.

Impact of Pesticides on Human Health in the Last Six Years in Brazil

Every year, Brazil intensifies its activity in agriculture and, as a result, it has become one of the biggest consumers of pesticides in the world. The high rate of these substances raises environmental and human health concerns. Therefore, we collected papers from PubMed, Scopus, Scielo, and Web of Science databases, from 2015 to 2021. After a blind selection using the software Rayyan QCRI by two authors, 51 studies were included. Researchers from the South and the Southeast Brazilian regions contributed to most publications, from areas that concentrate agricultural commodity complexes. Among the pesticides described in the studies, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides were the most frequent. The articles reported multiple toxic effects, particularly in rural workers. The results obtained can be used to direct policies to reduce the use of pesticides, and to protect the health of the population.

Behavior and fate of fungicide chlorothalonil in urban landscape soils and associated environmental concern

This novel study investigated the behavior and fate of chlorothalonil in terms of kinetics, sorption‒desorption and leaching potential in urban landscape soils using batch experiments. The pseudo-second-order model well described the sorption kinetics of chlorothalonil in urban soils. Consequently, chlorothalonil was partitioned into heterogeneous surfaces of soil following the Freundlich isotherm model. According to PCA, soil organic matter (OM), silt, clay, and oxides of Al and Fe exhibited a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) with chlorothalonil K_d (P < 0.05), while sand content and soil pH showed a negative correlation at P < 0.05. In soils, decreased sorption of chlorothalonil was also due to the presence of undecomposed or partly decomposed OM, whereas increased sorption could be attributed to the combined effect of OM with C = O and C-H groups, silt, clay, Al and Fe oxides and hydrophobicity of the fungicide. Also, HI, GUS, LIX and K_d of four among nine urban soils indicated that chlorothalonil has a great potential for leaching into the groundwater from the soil surface, posing an unintended threat to non-target biota and food safety. Therefore, utmost care must be taken while applying chlorothalonil in urban landscapes, particularly on impervious surfaces, to minimize the impact on the ecosystem.

Pharmaceuticals, pesticides and metals/metalloids in Lake Guaíba in Southern Brazil: Spatial and temporal evaluation and a chemometrics approach

Compiling and reporting data related to the presence of pharmaceuticals and pesticides are crucial means of assessing the risk those chemicals pose to human health and environment. Data sets from different sources were combined using a data fusion approach to produce a spatial and temporal variation of contaminants presents in water from Lake Guaíba (29°55'-30°24' S; 51°01'-51°20' W). Lake Guaíba is a 496 km² water body situated in the geological depression of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil; that is fed by several rivers from the metropolitan area, the 5th largest metro area in Brazil, with approximately 5 million inhabitants. Analytical methodology to quantify pharmaceuticals and pesticides by LC-QTOF-MS and GC-MS/MS was validated for 41 pharmaceutical and 62 pesticides. Furthermore, 27 chemical elements were analyzed by ICP-MS, and physical chemical parameters were determined using established methodologies. All validation parameters were in accordance with the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality. Thirty-five water samples were analyzed from January to August 2019, and 15 pharmaceuticals and 25 pesticides were present in concentrations ranging from 6.00 ng L^-1 to 580.00 ng L^-1. Twenty-seven elements were analyzed during the same period, and 18 were present in concentrations ranging from 0.2 μg L^-1 to 7060 μg L^-1. Samples were tagged according to the points and months of collection to identify temporal and spatial patterns. The main findings show that the compounds are distributed throughout the studied area without an apparent regular pattern, suggesting that events in a specific point affect the entire ecosystem. Conversely, temporal variations were well defined, as samples were grouped according to the climatic conditions of the months of collection. Considering the calculated quotient risks, atrazine, cyproconazole, diuron, and simazine showed the highest risk levels for algae; acetaminophen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen showed the highest risk levels for aquatics invertebrates.

Farmers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Regarding Carcinogenic Pesticides in Fez Meknes Region (Morocco)

Pesticides play an important role in the improvement of agricultural production, but their use may result in adverse effects on the environment, consumers, and farmers’ health. As there are limited data focusing on the factors influencing safety behavior toward pesticide use in Morocco, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in 15 rural communities of Morocco’s Fes Meknes region to assess the attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding pesticide use. A structured questionnaire was completed, containing the data of the interviewed farmers, their behavior towards safety measures, the type of active ingredient used, as well as the perception of risks to their own health following exposure to pesticides by the existence of chronic, self-perceived symptoms. Non-probability (empirical) sampling with the quota method was carried out, which consists of constructing the sample. Results showed that most respondents have not been trained in the application of pesticides, with almost half of the farmers using a category of pesticides which are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as probable human carcinogenic (i.e., Glyphosate, Malathion). In terms of pesticide storage, 40% of farmers said that they did not store pesticides in a separate room after purchasing or using them. The empty containers were buried or burnt by half of the responders, while the remainder were thrown at the edge of fields or in public dumps. Although the participants were aware of the negative effects on their own health and on the environment caused by the application of pesticides in use, the protection measures by individual equipment were insufficient. A canonical analysis indicates that these behaviors were influenced by the farming experience, the benefit of the agricultural council services, the follow-up of training, and the education level. These variables are important factors in explaining and understanding the dangers to both the environment and health caused by pesticides. The most recorded likely consequences of pesticide exposure were visual impairment (46%), followed by dizziness (44.3%), headache (39.4%), and excessive sweating (34.4%), and 30.2% of participants identified consequent respiratory problems. Extension services targeted at safety and protection measures should be developed and accompanied by educational programs to put farmers’ perceptions into practice and encourage them to adopt healthy and environmentally friendly behaviors.

Atlas of the microbial degradation of fluorinated pesticides

Fluorine-based agrochemicals have been benchmarked as the golden standard in pesticide development, prompting their widespread use in agriculture. As a result, fluorinated pesticides can now be found in the environment, entailing serious ecological implications due to their harmfulness and persistence. Microbial degradation might be an option to mitigate these impacts, though environmental microorganisms are not expected to easily cope with these fluoroaromatics due to their recalcitrance. Here, we provide an outlook on the microbial metabolism of fluorinated pesticides by analyzing the degradation pathways and biochemical processes involved, while also highlighting the central role of enzymatic defluorination in their productive metabolism. Finally, the potential contribution of these microbial processes for the dissipation of fluorinated pesticides from the environment is also discussed.

Managing soils of environmental significance: A critical review

Globally, environmentally significant soils (ESSs) mainly include acid sulfate, heavy metal(loid)-contaminated, petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated, pesticide-contaminated, and radionuclide-contaminated soils. These soils are interrelated and have many common characteristics from an environmental management perspective. In this review, we critically evaluate the available literature on individual ESSs, aiming to identify common problems related to environmental quality/risk assessment, remediation approaches, and environmental regulation for these soils. Based on these findings, we highlight the challenges to, and possible solutions for sustainable ESS management. Contaminated land has been rapidly expanding since the first industrial revolution from the industrialized Western countries to the emerging industrialized Asia and other parts of the world. Clean-up of contaminated lands and slowdown of their expansion require concerted international efforts to develop advanced cleaner production and cost-effective soil remediation technologies in addition to improvement of environmental legislation, regulatory enforcement, financial instruments, and stakeholder involvement to create enabling environments. Two particular areas require further action and research efforts: developing a universal system for assessing ESS quality and improving the cost-effectiveness of remediation technologies. We propose an integrated framework for deriving ESS quality indicators and make suggestions for future research directions to improve the performance of soil remediation technologies.

Short-term intake of deltamethrin-contaminated fruit, even at low concentrations, induces testicular damage in fruit-eating bats (Artibeus lituratus)

Deltamethrin (DTM) is a pyrethroid insecticide widely used for agricultural purposes. Exposure to DTM has proven to be harmful to humans, but whether low, environmental concentrations of this pesticide also poses a threat to wild mammals is still unknown. In Neotropical areas, bats play important roles in contributing to forest regeneration. We investigated the effects of DTM exposure on the reproductive function of male Neotropical fruit-eating bats (Artibeus lituratus), known for contributing to reforestation through seed dispersal in Neotropical Forests. Bats were assigned to 3 groups: control (fed with papaya); DTM2 (fed with papaya treated with DTM at 0.02 mg/kg) and DTM4 (fed with papaya treated with DTM at 0.04 mg/kg) for seven days. Bats from DTM2 and DTM4 groups showed increased testicular levels of nitric oxide and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. The germinal epithelium from DTM4 bats showed non-viable cells and cell desquamation, indicating microscopic lesions and Leydig cells atrophy. Our results demonstrate the onset of cell degeneration that may affect the reproductive function in DTM exposed bats.

Exposure to pesticides and oxidative stress in Brazilian agricultural communities

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress may be an important mechanism linking pesticide exposure to several diseases. We evaluated the association between pesticide exposures and oxidative stress biomarkers in Brazilian agricultural workers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in healthy agricultural (N = 52) and non-agricultural workers (N = 68) in a rural community in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Regular pesticide use, sociodemographic, and lifestyle information was obtained by questionnaire. Oxidative stress biomarkers (N = 7) were measured in serum and plasma. We calculated percent differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in oxidative stress biomarkers for use of pesticides adjusted for sex, age, education, smoking, and alcohol consumption, using multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

Living close to or in the fields was associated with glutathione peroxidase activity but not with any other markers. We observed significant positive associations between 8-isoprostane levels and activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase with reported use of certain insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Our results also indicate a significant and negative association between glutathione-S-transferase activity and insecticide use.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that use of pesticides may be associated with differences in oxidative stress biomarkers.

Encapsulation Strategies for Bacillus thuringiensis: From Now to the Future

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been recognized for its high potential in the control of various agricultural pests. Developments in micro/nanotechnology have opened new perspectives for the production of more efficient formulations that can overcome some obstacles associated with its use in the field, such as formulation instability and loss of activity as a result of the degradation of pesticidal protein by its exposure to ultraviolet radiation, among other problems. This review describes current studies and recent discoveries related to Bt and processes for the encapsulation of Bt derivatives, such as Cry pesticidal proteins. Different techniques are described, such as extrusion, emulsion, spray drying, spray cooling, fluidized bed, lyophilization, coacervation, and electrospraying to obtain micro- and nanoparticulate systems. It is noteworthy that products based on microorganisms present less risk to the environment and non-target organisms. However, systematic risk assessment studies of these new Bt biopesticides are necessary, considering issues, such as interactions with other organisms, the formation of toxic secondary metabolites, or the interspecific transfer of genetic material. Given the great potential of these new formulations, a critical assessment is provided for their future use, considering the technological challenges that must be overcome to achieve their large-scale production for efficient agricultural use.

The influence of the environment in the incorporation of copper and cadmium in scraper insects

In regions with intense agricultural activity, increases in heavy metal concentrations in aquatic environments are common. Among the metals associated with agricultural activities, copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) have been found to directly affect aquatic trophic structures due to the ease of incorporation by primary producers and consuming organisms. Aquatic insects are predominantly found in streams, and their presence is determined by environmental characteristics and food availability. In this study, we seek to understand how the incorporation of Cu and Cd by scraper insects relates to their environment and food sources. We collected water, sediment, biofilm and scraper insect samples in streams with different intensities of agricultural activities in the drainage areas. The intensity of agricultural activities in the catchment area positively influenced the Cu and Cd concentrations in organisms and other aquatic compartments. The metals were readily incorporated by the biofilms. Although the functional characteristics are important to understand the functioning of ecosystems, in this study, we found that the physiological characteristics can be determinants in the concentrations of metals in aquatic insects.

Facile filtration system to remove Diuron in aqueous solutions

Exposure to the herbicide Diuron may cause many undesirable effects on human health, leading to an increasing concern to preserve the quality of water intended for consumption. Therefore, the present study evaluated the removal of this contaminant in a gravitational filtration system, using different types of activated carbon fiber felt (ACFF) supported on the microfiltration membrane. The properties of the ACFF samples were investigated by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Nitrogen adsorption assays, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and zeta potential analysis. The characterizations suggested that ACFF could be appropriate to remove Diuron in aqueous solutions. Among samples, the one denominated as ACFF-CO₂(200)H₂O showed the best performance during the permeation tests. In the first filtration cycle, the system took about 530 min to reach the saturation point (removal ceased), and 190 min for the second cycle. Along the process, the contaminant solution fluxes were higher than 100 L h^{- 1} m² and reached an average final removal of ~ 50%. These results were excellent, as the proposed treatment consists of a simple gravitational filtration system, easy to operate, and low-cost.

Sub-Lethal Effects of Pesticides on the DNA of Soil Organisms as Early Ecotoxicological Biomarkers

This review describes the researches performed in the last years to assess the impact of pesticide sub-lethal doses on soil microorganisms and non-target organisms in agricultural soil ecosystems. The overview was developed through the careful description and a critical analysis of three methodologies based on culture-independent approaches involving DNA extraction and sequencing (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE; next-generation sequencing, NGS) to characterize the microbial population and DNA damage assessment (comet assay) to determine the effect on soil invertebrates. The examination of the related published articles showed a continuous improvement of the possibility to detect the detrimental effect of the pesticides on soil microorganisms and non-target organisms at sub-lethal doses, i.e., doses which have no lethal effect on the organisms. Considering the overall critical discussion on microbial soil monitoring in the function of pesticide treatments, we can confirm the usefulness of PCR-DGGE as a screening technique to assess the genetic diversity of microbial communities. Nowadays, DGGE remains a preliminary technique to highlight rapidly the main differences in microbial community composition, which is able to give further information if coupled with culture-dependent microbiological approaches, while thorough assessments must be gained by high-throughput techniques such as NGS. The comet assay represents an elective technique for assessing genotoxicity in environmental biomonitoring, being mature after decades of implementation and widely used worldwide for its direct, simple, and affordable implementation. Nonetheless, in order to promote the consistency and reliability of results, regulatory bodies should provide guidelines on the optimal use of this tool, strongly indicating the most reliable indicators of DNA damage. This review may help the European Regulation Authority in deriving new ecotoxicological endpoints to be included in the Registration Procedure of new pesticides.