Glyphosate in Runoff Waters and in the Root-Zone: A Review

Glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid impact on redox status and biotransformation in fish and the mitigating effects of diet supplementation

Fish reared under seminatural conditions can be challenged by exposure to herbicides. Farming facilities relying on the surrounding area's water quality can be affected by glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) contamination. This review summarizes findings on how glyphosate and AMPA in the amounts registered in surface waterbodies affect redox status and biotransformation in fish and covers the aspect of diet supplementation for oxidative stress relief. Environmentally relevant concentrations of glyphosate and AMPA can alter the transcription and catalytic activities of antioxidant enzymes, decrease the content of reduced glutathione, and increase the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products, all of which are signs of a redox imbalance. Glyphosate has been shown to affect complex I in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and dysregulate iron transport-related genes, causing redox disturbance. Relatively high but environmentally realistic glyphosate concentrations can initiate the induction of cytochrome P450 biotransformation enzymes, alter the regulation of ABC exporters, and cause the inhibition of the redox-sensitive Nrf2 signaling pathway. Studies on reducing herbicide toxicity through dietary supplementation are a promising area of research. Natural functional supplements have been proven to have great potential for mitigating glyphosate-induced oxidative stress and thereby improving fish health, which in turn means maintaining productivity in fish farms that use natural water. However, data on the effects of AMPA on fish are scarce, and studies on the alleviation of its toxicity in fish are lacking. Considering the variety of AMPA contamination routes, one cannot underestimate the need for further research.

Electrochemical Detection of Glyphosate in Surface Water Samples Based on Modified Screen-Printed Electrodes

This study addresses the necessity to monitor the presence of glyphosate (Gly) in waters, highlighting the need for on-site detection of Gly by using electrochemical sensors in environmental and agricultural monitoring programs. Two approaches were employed: (1) modification with graphene decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-Gr) and dispersed in either dimethylformamide (DMF) or a solution containing Nafion and isopropanol (NAF), and (2) molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based on polypyrrole (PPy) deposited on gold SPEs (AuSPE). Electrochemical characterization revealed that sensors made of AuNPs-Gr/SPCE exhibited enhanced conductivity, larger active area, and improved charge transfer kinetics compared to unmodified SPEs and SPEs modified with graphene alone. However, the indirect detection mechanism of Gly via complex formation with metallic cations in AuNPs-Gr-based sensors introduces complexities and compromises sensitivity and selectivity. In contrast, MIPPy/AuSPE sensors demonstrated superior performance, offering enhanced reliability and sensitivity for Gly analysis. The MIPPy/AuSPE sensor allowed the detection of Gly concentrations as low as 5 ng/L, with excellent selectivity and reproducibility. Moreover, testing in real surface water samples from the Olt River in Romania showed recovery rates ranging from 90% to 99%, highlighting the effectiveness of the detection method. Future perspectives include expanding the investigation to monitor Gly decomposition in aquatic environments over time, providing insights into the decomposition's long-term effects on water quality and ecosystem health, and modifying regulatory measures and agricultural practices for mitigating its impact. This research contributes to the development of robust and reliable electrochemical sensors for on-site monitoring of Glyphosate in environmental and agricultural settings.

Regional evaluation of glyphosate pollution in the minor irrigation network

Due to its low cost, its ease of use and to the "mild action" declared for long time by the Control and Approval Agencies towards it, the herbicide Glyphosate, is one of the currently best-selling and most-used agricultural products worldwide. In this work, we evaluated the presence and spread of Glyphosate in the Po River Basin (Northern Italy), one of the regions with the most intensified agriculture in Europe and where, by now for decades, a strong and general loss of aquatic biodiversity is observed. In order to carry out a more precise study of the real presence of this herbicide in the waters, samples were collected from the minor water network for two consecutive years, starting in 2022, at an interval time coinciding with those of the spring and summer crop treatments. In contrast to the sampling strategies generally adopted by Environmental Protection Agencies, a more focused sampling strategy was adopted to highlight the possible high concentrations in minor watercourses in direct contact with cultivated fields. Finally, we investigated the possible consequences that the higher amounts of Glyphosate found in our monitoring activities can have on stress reactions in plant (Groenlandia densa) and animal (Daphnia magna) In all the monitoring campaigns we detected exceeding European Environmental Quality Standard - EQS limits (0.1 μg/L) values. Furthermore, in some intensively agricultural areas, concentrations reached hundreds of μg/L, with the highest peaks during spring. In G. densa and D. magna, the exposition to increasing doses of herbicide showed a clear response linked to metabolic stress. Overall, our results highlight how, after several decades of its use, the Glyphosate use efficiency is still too low, leading to economic losses for the farm and to strong impacts on ecosystem health. Current EU policy indications call for an agroecological approach necessary to find alternatives to chemical weed control, which farms can develop in different contexts in order to achieve the sustainability goals set by the Farm to Fork strategy.

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.

Measuring herbicide (73.3 % glyphosate) exposure response in Halophila ovalis (previously johnsonii) and Halodule wrightii seagrass

We evaluated the effects of Roundup QuikPRO™ (73.3 % glyphosate) using real-world herbicide application treatments: (1) overspray (low-dose), (2) powder spill (high-dose), and (3) controls (no-dose). Seagrass and water quality were monitored to observe responses to acute herbicide application. Seagrass shoot densities significantly declined over time in high-dose treatments, whereas seagrass shoot densities in low-dose treatments were comparable to controls. In high-dose treatments, seagrass mortality increased over time, 100 % Halophila ovalis and 81 % Halodule wrightii mortality from day zero to 53. Collectively, glyphosate concentrations were negatively correlated with seagrass shoot densities, and positively correlated with water column nutrients (TN and TP). Based on these results we do not attribute local seagrass declines to low-dose glyphosate exposure, i.e., herbicide overspray events. However, we advise caution against improper herbicide handling, since glyphosate remained detectable in relatively high concentrations (<88 mg/L) after 53 days, resulting in seagrass mortality and increased water column nutrients.

Glyphosate spraying exacerbates nitrogen and phosphorus loss in karst slope farmland

Glyphosate herbicide is an indispensable material in agricultural production. In order to explore the potential environmental effects of glyphosate application in karst slope farmland, this paper used a variable slope steel tank to simulate the surface microtopography and underground pore structure characteristics of karst slope farmland, and combined with artificial rainfall experiments to explore the migration path of glyphosate in karst slope farmland and the impact of spraying glyphosate on soil nitrogen and phosphorus loss. The results showed that under the condition of heavy rain, glyphosate in karst slope farmland was mainly transported and diffused by surface runoff, supplemented by underground runoff; secondly, in different hydrological paths, glyphosate directly affected the content of nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff, and all showed extremely significant positive correlation (p < 0.001). In addition, rainfall conditions such as rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, and runoff affected the content of nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff to varying degrees. In conclusion, the application of glyphosate significantly increased the content of nitrogen and phosphorus in different runoff and accelerated the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus from soil, which not only led to soil degradation, but also threatened the safety of aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, in the prevention and control of agricultural non-point source pollution, the threat of glyphosate to the surrounding aquatic ecosystem cannot be ignored, especially in karst areas with frequent rainstorms and serious water erosion, long-term monitoring and risk assessment of glyphosate are needed.

Glyphosate and environmental toxicity with "One Health" approach, a review

The herbicide Glyphosate (GLY), or N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine was synthesized in 1950 and applied to control weeds in agricultural production. For a long time, it was believed that it was an inert compound, but many studies have instead demonstrated over the years the dangers of GLY to the ecosystem and human health. Among the best-known effects, it is known that GLY interferes with the metabolic pathways of plants and the main groups of microorganisms, negatively influencing their growth. GLY interferes with the metabolic pathways of plants and major groups of microorganisms negatively affecting their growth. The extensive GLY application on fields results in a "slow death" of plants through the minor resistance to root pathogens and in increasing pollution of freshwaters and soils. Unfortunately, however, unlike the old beliefs, GLY can reach non-target destinations, in this regard, ecological studies and environmental epidemiology are of significant interest. In this review, we focus on the effects of acute and chronic exposure to GLY on the health of plants, animals, and humans from a One Health perspective. GLY has been linked to neurological and endocrine issues in both humans and animals, and behavioral modification on specific bioindicators, but the knowledge about the ratio cause-and-effect still needs to be better understood and elucidated. Environmental GLY residues analysis and policy acts will both require new criteria to protect environmental and human health.

Comparative toxicity assessment of glyphosate and two commercial formulations in the planarian Dugesia japonica

Introduction: Glyphosate is a widely used, non-selective herbicide. Glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) are considered safe for non-target organisms and environmentally benign at currently allowed environmental exposure levels. However, their increased use in recent years has triggered questions about possible adverse outcomes due to low dose chronic exposure in animals and humans. While the toxicity of GBHs has primarily been attributed to glyphosate, other largely unstudied components of GBHs may be inherently toxic or could act synergistically with glyphosate. Thus, comparative studies of glyphosate and GBHs are needed to parse out their respective toxicity. Methods: We performed such a comparative screen using pure glyphosate and two popular GBHs at the same glyphosate acid equivalent concentrations in the freshwater planarian Dugesia japonica. This planarian has been shown to be a useful model for both ecotoxicology and neurotoxicity/developmental neurotoxicity studies. Effects on morphology and various behavioral readouts were obtained using an automated screening platform, with assessments on day 7 and day 12 of exposure. Adult and regenerating planarians were screened to allow for detection of developmentally selective effects. Results: Both GBHs were more toxic than pure glyphosate. While pure glyphosate induced lethality at 1 mM and no other effects, both GBHs induced lethality at 316 μM and sublethal behavioral effects starting at 31.6 μM in adult planarians. These data suggest that glyphosate alone is not responsible for the observed toxicity of the GBHs. Because these two GBHs also include other active ingredients, namely diquat dibromide and pelargonic acid, respectively, we tested whether these compounds were responsible for the observed effects. Screening of the equivalent concentrations of pure diquat dibromide and pure pelargonic acid revealed that the toxicity of either GBH could not be explained by the active ingredients alone. Discussion: Because all compounds induced toxicity at concentrations above allowed exposure levels, our data indicates that glyphosate/GBH exposure is not an ecotoxicological concern for D. japonica planarians. Developmentally selective effects were not observed for all compounds. Together, these data demonstrate the usefulness of high throughput screening in D. japonica planarians for assessing various types of toxicity, especially for comparative studies of several chemicals across different developmental stages.

Microcystis spp. and phosphorus in aquatic environments: A comprehensive review on their physiological and ecological interactions

Cyanobacterial blooms caused by eutrophication have become a major environmental problem in aquatic ecosystems worldwide over the last few decades. Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient that affects the growth of cyanobacteria and plays a role in dynamic changes in algal density and the formation of cyanobacterial blooms. Therefore, identifying the association between phosphorus sources and Microcystis, which is the most representative and harmful cyanobacteria, is essential for building an understanding of the ecological risks of cyanobacterial blooms. However, systematic reviews summarizing the relationships between Microcystis and phosphorus in aquatic environments are rare. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the physiological and ecological interactions between phosphorus sources and Microcystis in aquatic environments from the following perspectives: (i) the effects of phosphorus source and concentration on Microcystis growth, (ii) the impacts of phosphorus on the environmental behaviors of Microcystis, (iii) mechanisms of phosphorus-related metabolism in Microcystis, and (iv) role of Microcystis in the distribution of phosphorus sources within aquatic environments. In addition, relevant unsolved issues and essential future investigations (e.g., secondary ecological risks) have been highlighted and discussed. This review provides deeper insights into the relationship between phosphorus sources and Microcystis and can serve as a reference for the evaluation, monitoring, and effective control of cyanobacterial blooms.

Neurotoxic effects of exposure to glyphosate in rat striatum: Effects and mechanisms of action on dopaminergic neurotransmission

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects and possible mechanisms of action of glyphosate and a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) on dopaminergic neurotransmission in the rat striatum. Acute exposure to glyphosate or GBH, administered by systemic (75 or 150 mg/kg, i.p.) or intrastriatal (1, 5, or 10 mM for 1 h) routes, produced significant concentration-dependent increases in dopamine release measured in vivo by cerebral microdialysis coupled to HPLC with electrochemical detection. Systemic administration of glyphosate also significantly impaired motor control and decreased striatal acetylcholinesterase activity and antioxidant capacity. At least two mechanisms can be proposed to explain the glyphosate-induced increases in extracellular dopamine levels: increased exocytotic dopamine release from synaptic vesicles or inhibition of dopamine transporter (DAT). Thus, we investigated the effects of intrastriatal administration of glyphosate (5 mM) in animals pretreated with tetrodotoxin (TTX) or reserpine. It was observed that TTX (10 or 20 μM) had no significant effect on glyphosate-induced dopamine release, while reserpine (10 mg/kg i.p) partially but significantly reduced the dopamine release. When glyphosate was coinfused with nomifensine (50 μM), the increase in dopamine levels was significantly higher than that observed with glyphosate or nomifensine alone. So, two possible hypotheses could explain this additive effect: both glyphosate and nomifensine act through different mechanisms at the dopaminergic terminals to increase dopamine levels; or both nomifensine and glyphosate act on DAT, with glyphosate simultaneously inhibiting reuptake and stimulating dopamine release by reversing the DAT function. Future research is needed to determine the effects of this pesticide at environmentally relevant doses.

A Fluorescent Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Coated Paper Sensor for On-Site and Rapid Detection of Glyphosate

Due to the massive use and abuse of pesticides, practices which have led to serious threats to human health, the research community must develop on-site and rapid detection technology of pesticide residues to ensure food safety. Here, a paper-based fluorescent sensor, integrated with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) targeting glyphosate, was prepared by a surface-imprinting strategy. The MIP was synthesized by a catalyst-free imprinting polymerization technique and exhibited highly selective recognition capability for glyphosate. The MIP-coated paper sensor not only remained selective, but also displayed a limit of detection of 0.29 µmol and a linear detection range from 0.5 to 10 µmol. Moreover, the detection time only took about 5 min, which is beneficial for rapid detection of glyphosate in food samples. The detection accuracy of such paper sensor was good, with a spiked recovery rate of 92-117% in real samples. The fluorescent MIP-coated paper sensor not only has good specificity, which is helpful to reduce the food matrix interference and shorten the sample pretreatment time, but it also has the merits of high stability, low-cost and ease of operation and carrying, displaying great potential for application in the on-site and rapid detection of glyphosate for food safety.

Behavioral and neuroinflammatory changes caused by glyphosate: Base herbicide in mice offspring

BACKGROUND

Glyphosate is a pesticide considered of low toxicity, but scientific evidences show it can be harmful to health. This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity in mice offspring exposed to glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) during the intrauterine period.

METHODS

Female matrices received glyphosate 0.3 mg/kg daily per oral throughout the gestational period, which was variable between 18 and 22 days. From the 25th until the 28th days post-birth, mice offspring were subjected to behavioral tests, and the prefrontal cortex was processed for immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

Two significant behavioral changes were observed: anxiety in the GLIF0.3 group, increase in the behavior burying marbles in the marble-burying test and hyperactivity, expressed by the significant increase of the crossing number in the open field test. The increased microglia, TNF-alpha, and astrocyte expression were also observed in the prefrontal cortex of offspring treated with GLIF0.3.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to GBH during mice intrauterine development induces hyperactive and anxious behavior, evidencing neuroinflammation.

Characterization of glyphosate-induced cardiovascular toxicity and apoptosis in zebrafish

Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide, presents new hazards to human health. The developmental toxicity of glyphosate, especially its cardiovascular toxicity, needs to be closely monitored. To understand how glyphosate affects development, we performed toxicity tests on zebrafish embryos that were continuously exposed to glyphosate. The results indicated that glyphosate affected the overall development of zebrafish embryos, including mortality, hatching abnormalities, and decreased body length. At the same time, zebrafish embryos exposed to glyphosate exhibited cardiac malformations, including enlarged chambers, thinned ventricular walls, and rhythm disturbances. In addition, defective intersegmental vasculature occurred after glyphosate exposure, indicating impaired angiogenesis. Mechanistically, apoptosis clustered in the heart and vascular regions and levels of ATP and apoptosis-related genes including caspase-3, caspase-9, bax, and bcl-2 were altered. In summary, the data showed that cardiovascular toxicity caused by glyphosate exposure may be related to apoptosis. Our study provides evidence for a link between glyphosate exposure and cardiovascular developmental toxicity. This raises concerns regarding the health risks of the glyphosate.

Insights into the microbial degradation and resistance mechanisms of glyphosate

Glyphosate, as one of the broad-spectrum herbicides for controlling annual and perennial weeds, is widely distributed in various environments and seriously threatens the safety of human beings and ecology. Glyphosate is currently degraded by abiotic and biotic methods, such as adsorption, photolysis, ozone oxidation, and microbial degradation. Of these, microbial degradation has become the most promising method to treat glyphosate because of its high efficiency and environmental protection. Microorganisms are capable of using glyphosate as a phosphorus, nitrogen, or carbon source and subsequently degrade glyphosate into harmless products by cleaving C-N and C-P bonds, in which enzymes and functional genes related to glyphosate degradation play an indispensable role. There have been many studies on the abiotic and biotic treatment technologies, microbial degradation pathways and intermediate products of glyphosate, but the related enzymes and functional genes involved in the glyphosate degradation pathways have not been further discussed. There is little information on the resistance mechanisms of bacteria and fungi to glyphosate, and previous investigations of resistance mechanisms have mainly focused on how bacteria resist glyphosate damage. Therefore, this review explores the microorganisms, enzymes and functional genes related to the microbial degradation of glyphosate and discusses the pathways of microbial degradation and the resistance mechanisms of microorganisms to glyphosate. This review is expected to provide reference for the application and improvement of the microbial degradation of glyphosate in microbial remediation.

Overview of Environmental and Health Effects Related to Glyphosate Usage

Since the introduction of glyphosate (N-(phosphomethyl) glycine) in 1974, it has been the most used nonselective and broad-spectrum herbicide around the world. The widespread use of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides is due to their low-cost efficiency in killing weeds, their rapid absorption by plants, and the general mistaken perception of their low toxicity to the environment and living organisms. As a consequence of the intensive use and accumulation of glyphosate and its derivatives on environmental sources, major concerns about the harmful side effects of glyphosate and its metabolites on human, plant, and animal health, and for water and soil quality, are emerging. Glyphosate can reach water bodies by soil leaching, runoff, and sometimes by the direct application of some approved formulations. Moreover, glyphosate can reach nontarget plants by different mechanisms, such as spray application, release through the tissue of treated plants, and dead tissue from weeds. As a consequence of this nontarget exposure, glyphosate residues are being detected in the food chains of diverse products, such as bread, cereal products, wheat, vegetable oil, fruit juice, beer, wine, honey, eggs, and others. The World Health Organization reclassified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans in 2015 by the IARC. Thus, many review articles concerning different glyphosate-related aspects have been published recently. The risks, disagreements, and concerns regarding glyphosate usage have led to a general controversy about whether glyphosate should be banned, restricted, or promoted. Thus, this review article makes an overview of the basis for scientists, regulatory agencies, and the public in general, with consideration to the facts on and recommendations for the future of glyphosate usage.

Toxic Effects of Glyphosate on the Nervous System: A Systematic Review

Glyphosate, a non-selective systemic biocide with broad-spectrum activity, is the most widely used herbicide in the world. It can persist in the environment for days or months, and its intensive and large-scale use can constitute a major environmental and health problem. In this systematic review, we investigate the current state of our knowledge related to the effects of this pesticide on the nervous system of various animal species and humans. The information provided indicates that exposure to glyphosate or its commercial formulations induces several neurotoxic effects. It has been shown that exposure to this pesticide during the early stages of life can seriously affect normal cell development by deregulating some of the signaling pathways involved in this process, leading to alterations in differentiation, neuronal growth, and myelination. Glyphosate also seems to exert a significant toxic effect on neurotransmission and to induce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, processes that lead to neuronal death due to autophagy, necrosis, or apoptosis, as well as the appearance of behavioral and motor disorders. The doses of glyphosate that produce these neurotoxic effects vary widely but are lower than the limits set by regulatory agencies. Although there are important discrepancies between the analyzed findings, it is unequivocal that exposure to glyphosate produces important alterations in the structure and function of the nervous system of humans, rodents, fish, and invertebrates.

Electrochemical Microsensor for Microfluidic Glyphosate Monitoring in Water Using MIP-Based Concentrators

Glyphosate (GLY) is a broad-spectrum herbicide and is the most used pesticide worldwide. This vast usage has raised strong interest in the ecotoxicological impacts and human risks, with contamination of water being a major concern. Decentralized analytical techniques for water monitoring are of high importance. In this work, we present a small, low-cost, and time-effective electrochemical, chip-based microfluidic device for direct electrochemical detection of GLY downstream of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) concentrator. We studied the electrochemical behavior of GLY and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) using cyclic voltammetry with noble metal electrodes in acidic, neutral, and basic media. A chronoamperometric sensor protocol was developed for sensitive and selective GLY measurements on gold electrodes. The optimized protocol was transferred to a chip-based microsensor platform for online and real-time detection of GLY in a microfluidic setup. The results in the range from 0 to 50 μM GLY in 0.5 M H2SO4 show high linearity and a sensitivity of 10.3 ± 0.6 μA mm-2 mM-1 for the chip-based microfluidic platform. Successful recovery of GLY concentrated from untreated tap water and its precise detection from low volumes demonstrates the advantages of our system.

Glyphosate Toxicity to Native Nontarget Macrophytes Following Three Different Routes of Incidental Exposure

A major goal of invasive plant management is the restoration of native biodiversity, but effective methods for invasive plant control can be harmful to native plants. Informed application of control methods is required to reach restoration goals. The herbicide glyphosate, commonly applied in invasive plant management, can be toxic to native macrophytes. Our study assessed the response of 2 macrophytes that are endangered in our study area (Ammannia robusta and Sida hermaphrodita) to glyphosate concentrations that mimic incidental exposure from nearby invasive plant control: spray drift of 4 × 10-7 % to 5% glyphosate; pulse and continuous immersion in water containing 2 to 41 µg/L glyphosate; and rhizosphere contact with 5%-glyphosate-wicked invasive plants. We assessed macrophyte sensitivity at 14-d postexposure, and quantified abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Glyphosate spray concentrations as low as 0.1% reduced macrophyte growth. Ammannia was more sensitive overall to glyphosate spray than Sida, although sensitivity varied among measured endpoints. Conversely, macrophytes were not affected by immersion in low concentrations of glyphosate or rhizosphere contact with a glyphosate-wicked plant. Likewise, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi abundance in roots was similar among glyphosate-sprayed and control plants. Based on our results, we recommend that invasive plant managers reduce risks to native nontarget plants through implementing measures that limit off-target spray drift, and consider the feasibility of more targeted applications, such as with wick equipment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:597-613. © 2020 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Glyphosate: Uses Other Than in Glyphosate-Resistant Crops, Mode of Action, Degradation in Plants, and Effects on Non-target Plants and Agricultural Microbes

Glyphosate is the most used herbicide globally. It is a unique non-selective herbicide with a mode of action that is ideal for vegetation management in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. Its use was more than doubled by the introduction of transgenic, glyphosate-resistant (GR) crops. All of its phytotoxic effects are the result of inhibition of only 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), but inhibition of this single enzyme of the shikimate pathway results in multiple phytotoxicity effects, both upstream and downstream from EPSPS, including loss of plant defenses against pathogens. Degradation of glyphosate in plants and microbes is predominantly by a glyphosate oxidoreductase to produce aminomethylphosphonic acid and glyoxylate and to a lesser extent by a C-P lyase to produce sarcosine and phosphate. Its effects on non-target plant species are generally less than that of many other herbicides, as it is not volatile and is generally sprayed in larger droplet sizes with a relatively low propensity to drift and is inactivated by tight binding to most soils. Some microbes, including fungal plant pathogens, have glyphosate-sensitive EPSPS. Thus, glyphosate can benefit GR crops by its activity on some plant pathogens. On the other hand, glyphosate can adversely affect some microbes that are beneficial to agriculture, such as Bradyrhizobium species, although GR crop yield data indicate that such an effect has been minor. Effects of glyphosate on microbes of agricultural soils are generally minor and transient, with other agricultural practices having much stronger effects.

High-Frequency Sampling of Small Streams in the Agroecosystems of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, to Characterize Pesticide Exposure and Associated Risk to Aquatic Life

The temporal dynamics of pesticide concentrations in streams remains poorly characterized in southwestern Ontario, a region of the province where land use is dominated by agriculture. Understanding the magnitude and duration of pulsed exposures to pesticides in these small streams is critical when estimating the risk of pesticides to these aquatic ecosystems. The present study investigated the application of a high-frequency water sampling approach paired with the collection of flow data to characterize the pulsed exposure of pesticides to small streams in southwestern Ontario. Six sites along 2 different streams with different magnitudes of agricultural land use in their upstream catchments were sampled using half-day composite samples from July to October 2018 and from May to September 2019. A total of 1043 samples were collected over the 2 yr, of which 210 were analyzed. Samples for analysis were chosen based on flow, water level, and precipitation data. Liquid and gas chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure >500 pesticides in each water sample. A total of 35 different compounds were detected over the 6 sampling sites. For pesticides that were detected in >10% of water samples above the method quantification limit, a deterministic risk assessment using water quality guidelines and a probabilistic risk assessment using species sensitivity distributions were performed. The calculated hazard quotients showed that 2,4-D, atrazine, metolachlor, and metribuzin exceeded a level of concern of 1 at the highest concentrations detected. In all cases, hazard concentrations that would be protective of 95% of species from the species sensitivity distributions were greater than the 95th centile of the environmental exposure distributions, meaning that the risk from the pesticides was low. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2570-2587. © 2020 SETAC.

Assessment of the Synergic Effect between Lysinibacillus sphaericus S-Layer Protein and Glyphosate in the Lethality of the Invasive Arboviral Vector Aedes albopictus

Glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides are among the most used chemicals in plant pest control. Both glyphosate and its main by-product Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA) are highly environmentally persistent and, through several processes (including surface runoff and bioaccumulation), affect species beyond their intended targets, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Aedes albopictus is a novel invasive arboviral vector in Colombia and has spread to much of the national territory in recent years. Strains of the bacterium Lysinibacillus sphaericus have shown the ability to degrade glyphosate into environmentally inert compounds, in addition to having great larvicidal efficiency in different mosquito species through the production of several proteins, including the surface layer (S-Layer) protein. The S-Layer is a bacterial structure consisting of glycoprotein monomers, and its functions are thought to include bacterial interactions, protection from the outside medium and biological control. The study assessed the entomopathogenic activity of L. sphaericus S-Layer protein on Ae. albopictus larvae, and the effects that glyphosate and its by-products have in this process. To that end, bioassays were performed to compare the larval mortality between different treatments with and without S-Layer, glyphosate, and glyphosate derivates. Comparisons were made through Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference (HSD) analyses. Significant differences were found in larval mortality in the treatments, and larval mortality was greater when the S-Layer protein was present, though glyphosate field-doses (1.69 g/L) alone had a notable toxicity as well. An apparent synergic effect on the mortality of larval Ae. albopictus when exposed to mixtures containing 1500 ppm of the S-Layer protein, glyphosate, and/or glyphosate derivates was found. Further studies are needed for the in-depth understanding of this mechanism and its consequences on aquatic ecosystems.

Treatment technologies and degradation pathways of glyphosate: A critical review

Glyphosate is one of the most widely used post-emergence broad-spectrum herbicides in the world. This molecule has been frequently detected in aqueous environment and can cause adverse effects to plants, animals, microorganisms, and humans. This review offers a comparative assessment of current treatment methods (physical, biological, and advanced oxidation process) for glyphosate wastewaters, considering their advantages and drawbacks. As for other molecules, adsorption does not destroy glyphosate. It can be used before other processes, if glyphosate concentrations are very high, or after, to decrease the final concentration of glyphosate and its by-products. Most of biological and oxidation processes can destroy glyphosate molecules, leading to by-products (the main ones being AMAP and sarcosine) that can be or not affected by these processes. This point is of major importance to control process efficiency. That is the reason why a specific focus on glyphosate degradation pathways by biological treatment or different advanced oxidation processes is proposed. However, one process is usually not efficient enough to reach the required standards. Therefore, the combination of processes (for instance biological and oxidation ones) seems to be high-performance technologies for the treatment of glyphosate-containing wastewater, due to their potential to overcome some drawbacks of each individual process. Finally, this review provides indications for future work for different treatment processes to increase their performances and gives some insights into the treatment of glyphosate or other organic contaminants in wastewater.

Chitosan-Based Nanocomposites for Glyphosate Detection Using Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor

This article describes an optical method based on the association of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with chitosan (CS) film and its nanocomposites, including zinc oxide (ZnO) or graphene oxide (GO) for glyphosate detection. CS and CS/ZnO or CS/GO thin films were deposited on an Au chip using the spin coating technique. The characterization, morphology, and composition of these films were performed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle technique. Sensor preparation conditions including the cross-linking and mobile phase (pH and salinity) were investigated and thoroughly optimized. Results showed that the CS/ZnO thin-film composite provides the highest sensitivity for glyphosate sensing with a low detection limit of 8 nM and with high reproducibility. From the Langmuir-type adsorption model and the effect of ionic strength, the adsorption mechanisms of glyphosate could be controlled by electrostatic and steric interaction with possible formation of 1:1 outer-sphere surface complexes. The selectivity of the optical method was investigated with respect to the sorption of glyphosate metabolite (aminomethylphosphonic acid) (AMPA), glufosinate, and one of the glufonisate metabolites (3-methyl-phosphinico-propionic acid) (MPPA). Results showed that the SPR sensor offers a very good selectivity for glyphosate, but the competition of other molecules could still occur in aqueous systems.

Controversies over human health and ecological impacts of glyphosate: Is it to be banned in modern agriculture?

Glyphosate, introduced by Monsanto Company under the commercial name Roundup in 1974, became the extensively used herbicide worldwide in the last few decades. Glyphosate has excellent properties of fast sorption in soil, biodegradation and less toxicity to nontarget organisms. However, glyphosate has been reported to increase the risk of cancer, endocrine-disruption, celiac disease, autism, effect on erythrocytes, leaky-gut syndrome, etc. The reclassification of glyphosate in 2015 as 'probably carcinogenic' under Group 2A by the International Agency for Research on Cancer has been broadly circulated by anti-chemical and environmental advocacy groups claiming for restricted use or ban of glyphosate. In contrast, some comprehensive epidemiological studies involving farmers with long-time exposure to glyphosate in USA and elsewhere coupled with available toxicological data showed no correlation with any kind of carcinogenic or genotoxic threat to humans. Moreover, several investigations confirmed that the surfactant, polyethoxylated tallow amine (POEA), contained in the formulations of glyphosate like Roundup, is responsible for the established adverse impacts on human and ecological health. Subsequent to the evolution of genetically modified glyphosate-resistant crops and the extensive use of glyphosate over the last 45 years, about 38 weed species developed resistance to this herbicide. Consequently, its use in the recent years has been either restricted or banned in 20 countries. This critical review on glyphosate provides an overview of its behaviour, fate, detrimental impacts on ecological and human health, and the development of resistance in weeds and pathogens. Thus, the ultimate objective is to help the authorities and agencies concerned in resolving the existing controversies and in providing the necessary regulations for safer use of the herbicide. In our opinion, glyphosate can be judiciously used in agriculture with the inclusion of safer surfactants in commercial formulations sine POEA, which is toxic by itself is likely to increase the toxicity of glyphosate.

Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry for the direct analysis of glyphosate: method development and application to beer beverages and environmental studies

In this study, we developed and validated a CE-TOF-MS method for the quantification of glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) and its major degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in different samples including beer, media from toxicological analysis with Daphnia magna, and sorption experiments. Using a background electrolyte (BGE) of very low pH, where glyphosate is still negatively charged but many matrix components become neutral or protonated, a very high separation selectivity was reached. The presence of inorganic salts in the sample was advantageous with regard to preconcentration via transient isotachophoresis. The advantages of our new method are the following: no derivatization is needed, high separation selectivity and thus matrix tolerance, speed of analysis, limits of detection suitable for many applications in food and environmental science, negligible disturbance by metal chelation. LODs for glyphosate were < 5 μg/L for both aqueous and beer samples, the linear range in aqueous samples was 5-3000 μg/L, for beer samples 10-3000 μg/L. For AMPA, LODs were 3.3 and 30.6 μg/L, and the linear range 10-3000 μg/L and 50-3000 μg/L, for aqueous and beer samples, respectively. Recoveries in beer samples for glyphosate were 94.3-110.7% and for AMPA 80.2-100.4%. We analyzed 12 German and 2 Danish beer samples. Quantification of glyphosate and AMPA was possible using isotopically labeled standards without enrichment, purification, or dilution, only degassing and filtration were required for sample preparation. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the method for other strong acids, relevant in food and environmental sciences such as N-acetyl glyphosate, N-acetyl AMPA (present in some glyphosate resistant crop), trifluoroacetic acid, 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, glufosinate and its degradation product 3-(methylphosphinico)propionic acid, oxamic acid, and others.

Exposure during embryonic development to Roundup® Power 2.0 affects lateralization, level of activity and growth, but not defensive behaviour of marsh frog tadpoles

As glyphosate-based herbicides, sold under the commercial name Roundup®, represent the most used herbicides in the world, contamination of the freshwater environment by glyphosate has become a widespread issue. In Italy, glyphosate was detected in half of the surface waters monitoring sites and its concentrations were higher than environmental quality standards in 24.5% of them. It can last from days to months in water, leading to exposure for aquatic organisms and specifically to amphibians' larvae that develop in shallow water bodies with proven effects to development and behaviour. In this study, we tested the effects of a 96 h exposure during embryonic development of marsh frog's tadpoles to three ecologically relevant Roundup® Power 2.0 concentrations. As expected, given the low concentrations tested, no mortality was observed. Morphological measurements highlighted a reduction in the total length in tadpoles exposed to 7.6 mg a.e./L, while an increase was observed at lower concentrations of 0.7 and 3.1 mg a.e./L compared to control group. Tadpoles raised in 7.6 mg a.e./L also showed a smaller tail membrane than those raised in the control solution. Regarding behaviour, we tested tadpoles in two different sessions (Gosner stages 25 and 28/29) for lateralization, antipredator response and basal activity. Lower intensity of lateralization was detected in tadpoles raised at the highest Roundup® concentration in the first session of observation, while no significant difference among treatments was observed in the second one. In both sessions, effects of Roundup® Power 2.0 embryonic exposure on antipredator response, measured as the proportional change in activity after the injection of tadpole-fed predator (Anax imperator) cue, were not detected. Tadpoles exposed during embryonic development to Roundup® exhibited lower basal activity than the control group, with the strongest reduction for the 7.6 mg a.e./L treatment. Our results reinforce the concern of Roundup® contamination impact on amphibians.

The Effects of Glyphosate and Its Commercial Formulations to Marine Invertebrates: A Review

Glyphosate is the active ingredient of numerous commercial formulations of herbicides applied in different sectors, from agriculture to aquaculture. Due to its widespread use around the world, relatively high concentrations of glyphosate have been detected in soil and aquatic environments. The presence of glyphosate in aquatic ecosystems has aroused the attention of researchers because of its potential negative effects on living organisms, both animals and plants. In this context, this review intends to summarize results of studies aimed at evaluating the effects of glyphosate (both as active ingredient and component of commercial formulations) on marine invertebrates. Generally, data obtained in acute toxicity tests indicate that glyphosate and its commercial formulations are lethal at high concentrations (not environmentally realistic), whereas results of long-lasting experiments indicate that glyphosate can markedly affect biological responses of marine invertebrates. Consequently, more efforts should be addressed at evaluating chronic or sub-chronic effects of such substances to marine invertebrate species.

Toxicity of herbicides to cyanobacteria and phytoplankton species of the San Francisco Estuary and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA

The herbicides glyphosate, imazamox and fluridone are herbicides, with low toxicity towards fish and invertebrates, which are applied to waterways to control invasive aquatic weeds. However, the effects of these herbicides on natural isolates of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria are unknown. Three species of microalgae found in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE)/Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) (Microcystis aeruginosa, Chlamydomonas debaryana, and Thalassiosira pseudonana) were exposed to the three herbicides at a range of concentrations in 96-well plates for 5-8 days. All three algal species were the most sensitive to fluridone, with IC₅₀ of 46.9, 21, and 109 µg L^-1 for M. aeruginosa, T. pseudonana and C. debaryana, respectively. Imazamox inhibited M. aeruginosa and T. pseudonana growth at 3.6 × 10⁴ µg L^-1 or higher, and inhibited C. debaryana growth at 1.0 × 10⁵ µg L^-1 or higher. Glyphosate inhibited growth in all species at ca. 7.0 × 10⁴ µg L^-1 or higher. Fluridone was the only herbicide that inhibited the microalgae at environmentally relevant concentrations in this study and susceptibility to the herbicide depended on the species. Thus, the application of fluridone may affect cyanobacteria and phytoplankton community composition in water bodies where it is applied.

Adsorption of glyphosate on Brazilian subtropical soils rich in iron and aluminum oxides

We investigated the adsorption of glyphosate onto five subtropical soils of Paraná and São Paulo states, Brazil, a region of intense agricultural activities, aiming at the determination of kinetic and isotherm adsorption parameters which enable the evaluation of the potential leaching of the herbicide. The adsorption was fast, being described by the pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion models, thus suggesting that mixed mechanisms are involved. The Oxisol containing the highest concentrations of metal oxides (209.5 g kg-1 Fe2O3 and 160.2 g kg-1 Al2O3) was the sample with the highest rate constant, indicating the adsorption sites are readily available. All the soils are rich in aluminum and iron oxides, explaining the Freundlich coefficients (KF) between 642 and 1360 mg1-1/n kg-1 L1/n, which are higher than most of the coefficients described for other soils around the world. The maximum desorption (15% of the adsorbed amount) was observed for the Oxisol. For the other soils, desorption ranged from 2 to 7%. These results suggest that the leaching of free glyphosate to nearby surface and groundwaters is unlikely unless excessive doses are used. The adsorption parameters are useful for managing the right doses applied to the crops, thus avoiding contamination of adjacent areas.

Advanced method for fabrication of molecularly imprinted mesoporous organosilica with highly sensitive and selective recognition of glyphosate

In this study, we synthesized molecularly imprinted mesoporous organosilica (MIMO) in the presence of a new precursor having a zwitterionic functional group and an imprint molecule, namely, glyphosate (MIMO-z). The precursor-glyphosate complex engaged in a typical base-catalyzed sol-gel reaction and the introduced zwitterion group remained intact in the framework after the extraction process had been completed. To test the rebinding performance of the target molecule, graphene quantum dots were encapsulated (MIMO-zQ) into pores and the fluorescence intensity change was monitored according to the concentration of glyphosate. When the MIMO-zQ suspension was diluted into the glyphosate solutions, notable fluorescence quenching occurred, right down to sub-nanomolar levels of concentration; 9.2 ± 0.18% quenching at 0.1 nM (0.017 ppb, 17 pg/mL). This result is one of the best reported to date for sensing using MIMO. The synthesized probe also exhibited a distinct signal compared to a series of competing compounds, aminomethylphosphonic acid and glycine; 4.3 ± 0.019% and 3.7 ± 0.041% quenching at 100 nM.

Effects of glyphosate on early life stages: comparison between Cyprinus carpio and Danio rerio

Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is an active substance of many herbicides. According to literature studies, glyphosate residues and their metabolites have been commonly detected in surface waters and toxicological reports confirmed negative effects on living organisms. In this study, the acute embryo toxicity of glyphosate into two different fish species-common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and zebrafish (Danio rerio)-was investigated. Lethal endpoints, development disorder, and, in addition, other sublethal endpoints such as hatching rate, formation of somites, and development of eyes, spontaneous movement, heartbeat/blood circulation, pigmentation, and edema were recorded to indicate the mode of action of the toxic compound. Hatching retardation (p < 0.05) was observed in experimental groups of common carp exposed to glyphosate with significant statistical difference especially at the highest concentration after 72, 96, and 120 hpf. The significantly highest cumulative mortality at concentration of 50 mg/l was observed. In contrast, hatching stimulation was observed in embryos of zebrafish exposed to the highest concentration of glyphosate. The significantly highest cumulative mortality for zebrafish was observed only at concentration of 50 mg/l. Based on our results, early life stages of common carp are more sensitive in comparison to zebrafish to the toxic action of glyphosate.

A glyphosate micro-emulsion formulation displays teratogenicity in Xenopus laevis

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in broad-spectrum herbicide formulations used in agriculture, domestic area and aquatic weed control worldwide. Its market is growing steadily concurrently with the cultivation of glyphosate-tolerant transgenic crops and emergence of weeds less sensitive to glyphosate. Ephemeral and lentic waters near to agricultural lands, representing favorite habitats for amphibian reproduction and early life-stage development, may thus be contaminated by glyphosate based herbicides (GBHs) residues. Previous studies on larval anuran species highlighted increased mortality and growth effects after exposure to different GBHs in comparison to glyphosate itself, mainly because of the surfactants such as polyethoxylated tallow amine present in the formulations. Nevertheless, these conclusions are not completely fulfilled when the early development, characterized by primary organogenesis events, is considered. In this study, we compare the embryotoxicity of Roundup® Power 2.0, a new GBH formulation currently authorized in Italy, with that of technical grade glyphosate using the Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus (FETAX). Our results evidenced that glyphosate was not embryolethal and only at the highest concentration (50 mg a.e./L) caused edemas. Conversely, Roundup® Power 2.0 exhibited a 96 h LC50 of 24.78 mg a.e./L and a 96 h EC50 of 7.8 mg a.e./L. A Teratogenic Index of 3.4 was derived, pointing out the high teratogenic potential of the Roundup® Power 2.0. Specific concentration-dependent abnormal phenotypes, such as craniofacial alterations, microphthalmia, narrow eyes and forebrain regionalization defects were evidenced by gross malformation screening and histopathological analysis. These phenotypes are coherent with those evidenced in Xenopus laevis embryos injected with glyphosate, allowing us to hypothesize that the teratogenicity observed for Roundup® Power 2.0 may be related to the improved efficacy in delivering glyphosate to cells, guaranteed by the specific surfactant formulation. In conclusion, the differences in GBH formulations should be carefully considered by the authorities, since sub-lethal and/or long-term effects (e.g. teratogenicity) can be significantly modulated by the active ingredient salt type and concentration of the adjuvants. Finally, the mechanistic toxicity of glyphosate and GBHs are worthy of further research.

Glyphosate analysis using sensors and electromigration separation techniques as alternatives to gas or liquid chromatography

Since its introduction in 1974, the herbicide glyphosate has experienced a tremendous increase in use, with about one million tons used annually today. This review focuses on sensors and electromigration separation techniques as alternatives to chromatographic methods for the analysis of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethyl phosphonic acid. Even with the large number of studies published, glyphosate analysis remains challenging. With its polar and depending on pH even ionic functional groups lacking a chromophore, it is difficult to analyze with chromatographic techniques. Its analysis is mostly achieved after derivatization. Its purification from food and environmental samples inevitably results incoextraction of ionic matrix components, with a further impact on analysis derivatization. Its purification from food and environmental samples inevitably results in coextraction of ionic matrix components, with a further impact on analysis and also derivatization reactions. Its ability to form chelates with metal cations is another obstacle for precise quantification. Lastly, the low limits of detection required by legislation have to be met. These challenges preclude glyphosate from being analyzed together with many other pesticides in common multiresidue (chromatographic) methods. For better monitoring of glyphosate in environmental and food samples, further fast and robust methods are required. In this review, analytical methods are summarized and discussed from the perspective of biosensors and various formats of electromigration separation techniques, including modes such as capillary electrophoresis and micellar electrokinetic chromatography, combined with various detection techniques. These methods are critically discussed with regard to matrix tolerance, limits of detection reached, and selectivity.

Glyphosate: environmental contamination, toxicity and potential risks to human health via food contamination

Glyphosate has been the most widely used herbicide during the past three decades. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies glyphosate as 'practically non-toxic and not an irritant' under the acute toxicity classification system. This classification is based primarily on toxicity data and due to its unique mode of action via a biochemical pathway that only exists in a small number of organisms that utilise the shikimic acid pathway to produce amino acids, most of which are green plants. This classification is supported by the majority of scientific literature on the toxic effects of glyphosate. However, in 2005, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported that glyphosate and its major metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), are of potential toxicological concern, mainly as a result of accumulation of residues in the food chain. The FAO further states that the dietary risk of glyphosate and AMPA is unlikely if the maximum daily intake of 1 mg kg(-1) body weight (bw) is not exceeded. Research has now established that glyphosate can persist in the environment, and therefore, assessments of the health risks associated with glyphosate are more complicated than suggested by acute toxicity data that relate primarily to accidental high-rate exposure. We have used recent literature to assess the possible risks associated with the presence of glyphosate residues in food and the environment.