Use,exposure, and environmental impacts of pesticides in Pakistan: a critical review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The excessive use of pesticides is posing major threats to humans and the environment. However, the environmental exposure and impact of pesticides in...     

Teratological effects of pesticides in vertebrates: a review

Abstract

In the last decades, the use and misuse of pesticides in the agriculture have increased, having a severe impact on ecosystems and their fauna. Although the various effects of pesticides on biodiversity have been already documented in several studies, to our knowledge no consistent overview of the impact of pesticides in vertebrates, both terrestrial and aquatic, is available. In this review, we try to present a concise compilation of the teratogenic effects of pesticides on the different classes of vertebrates – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.     

Diphenylamine and derivatives in the environment: a review

Diphenylamine (DPA) is a compound from the third European Union (EU) list of priority pollutants. It was assigned by the EU to Germany to assess and control its environmental risks. DPA and derivatives are most commonly used as stabilizers in nitrocellulose-containing explosives and propellants, in the perfumery, and as antioxidants in the rubber and elastomer industry. DPA is also widely used to prevent post-harvest deterioration of apple and pear crops. DPA is a parent compound of many derivatives, which are used for the production of dyes, pharmaceuticals, photography chemicals and further small-scale applications. Diphenylamines are still produced worldwide by the chemical industries. First reports showed that DPA was found in soil and groundwater. Some ecotoxicological studies demonstrated the potential hazard of various diphenylamines to the aquatic environment and to bacteria and animals. Studies on the biodegradability of DPA and its derivatives are very sparse. Therefore, further investigation is required to determine the complete dimension of the potential environmental hazard and to introduce possible (bio)remediation techniques for sites that are contaminated with this class of compounds. This is the first detailed review on DPA and some derivatives summarizing their environmental relevance as it is published in the literature so far and this review will recommend conducting further research in the future.     

Hair as a marker for pesticides exposure

Rats were orally treated with mixtures of chlorinated pesticides. Hair was collected and analyzed for pesticide residues over a period of up to four weeks. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the recovered pesticides in hair were determined using gas chromatography with electron capture detector. Results suggest that hair can be used as a biomarker for the monitoring of organochlorinated pesticide residues at low parts per billion levels. Chlorinated pesticides were also detected in human hair of environmentally exposed and occupationally exposed individuals, which indicates that hair can be used for monitoring pesticides exposure.     

Occurrence of PPCPs in the marine environment: a review

Little research has been conducted on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the marine environment despite being increasingly impacted by these contaminants. This article reviews data on the occurrence of PPCPs in seawater, sediment, and organisms in the marine environment. Data pertaining to 196 pharmaceuticals and 37 personal care products reported from more than 50 marine sites are analyzed while taking sampling strategies and analytical methods into account. Particular attention is focused on the most frequently detected substances at highest concentrations. A snapshot of the most impacted marine sites is provided by comparing the highest concentrations reported for quantified substances. The present review reveals that: (i) PPCPs are widespread in seawater, particularly at sites impacted by anthropogenic activities, and (ii) the most frequently investigated and detected molecules in seawater and sediments are antibiotics, such as erythromycin. Moreover, this review points out other PPCPs of concern, such as ultraviolet filters, and underlines the scarcity of data on those substances despite recent evidence on their occurrence in marine organisms. The exposure of marine organisms in regard to these insufficient data is discussed.     

Perspectives of the chemical fate and toxicity of pesticides

Abstract

The wide‐spread use of pesticides in modern agriculture has created a need to investigate the chemical transformation of pesticides in plants and animals. This paper reviews the chemical and biochemical fate of various pesticides and other xenobiotics. Photochemical mechanisms appear to be the most common pathways for the abiotic transformation of these chemicals. Biotic transformation includes a large group of biochemical reactions which may result in either deactivation (detoxication) or activation (toxication) of bioactive compounds. The need for quality control in the production of pesticides is also discussed.     

Earthworms,pesticides and sustainable agriculture: a review

The aim of this review is to generate awareness and understand the importance of earthworms in sustainable agriculture and effect of pesticides on their action. The natural resources are finite and highly prone to degradation by the misuse of land and mismanagement of soil. The world is in utter need of a healthy ecosystem that provides with fertile soil, clean water, food and other natural resources. Anthropogenic activities have led to an increased contamination of land. The intensification of industrial and agricultural practices chiefly the utilization of pesticides has in almost every way made our natural resources concave. Earthworms help in a number of tasks that support many ecosystem services that favor agrosystem sustainability but are degraded by exhaustive practices such as the use of pesticides. The present review assesses the response of earthworm toward the pesticides and also evaluates the relationship between earthworm activity and plant growth. We strictly need to refresh and rethink on the policies and norms devised by us on sustainable ecology. In an equivalent way, the natural resources should be utilized and further, essential ways for betterment of present and future livelihood should be sought.     

Perspectives of the chemical fate and toxicity of pesticides

The wide-spread use of pesticides in modern agriculture has created a need to investigate the chemical transformation of pesticides in plants and animals. This paper reviews the chemical and biochemical fate of various pesticides and other xenobiotics. Photochemical mechanisms appear to be the most common pathways for the abiotic transformation of these chemicals. Biotic transformation includes a large group of biochemical reactions which may result in either deactivation (detoxication) or activation (toxication) of bioactive compounds. The need for quality control in the production of pesticides is also discussed.     

Aqueous carbonation of peridotites for carbon utilisation: a critical review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Peridotite and serpentinites can be used to sequester CO2 emissions through mineral carbonation. Olivine dissolution rate is directly proportional...     

The use of bacterial bioremediation of metals in aquatic environments in the twenty-first century: a systematic review

Metal pollution is a current environmental issue as a consequence of unregulated anthropic activiy. A wide range of bioremediation strategies have been successfully implemented to recover contaminated areas. Among them, bacterial bioremediation stands out as a promising tool to confront these types of concerns. This study aimed to compare and discuss worldwide scientific evolution of bacterial potential for metal bioremediation in aquatic ecosystems. The study consisted of a systematic review, elaborated through a conceptual hypothesis model, during the period from 2000 to 2016, using PubMed, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases as data resources. The countries with the largest number of reports included in this work were India and the USA. Industrial wastewater discharge was the main subject associated to metal contamination/pollution and where bacterial bioremediations have mostly been applied. Biosorption is the main bioremediation mechanism described. Bacterial adaptation to metal presence was discussed in all the selected studies, and chromium was the most researched bioremedied substrate. Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosas and the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis bacteria were microorganisms with the greatest applicability for metal bioremediation. Most reports involved the study of genes and/or proteins related to metal metabolism and/or resistence, and Chromobacterium violaceum was the most studied. The present work shows the relevance of metal bacterial bioremediation through the high number of studies aimed at understanding the microbiological mechanisms involved. Moreover, the developed processes applied in removal and/or reducing the resulting environmental metal contaminant/pollutant load have become a current and increasingly biotechnological issue for recovering impacted areas.     

The chemistry and behaviour of antimony in the soil environment with comparisons to arsenic: A critical review

This article provides a critical review of the environmental chemistry of inorganic antimony (Sb) in soils, comparing and contrasting findings with those of arsenic (As). Characteristics of the Sb soil system are reviewed, with an emphasis on speciation, sorption and phase associations, identifying differences between Sb and As behaviour. Knowledge gaps in environmentally relevant Sb data for soils are identified and discussed in terms of the limitations this imposes on understanding the fate, behaviour and risks associated with Sb in environmental soil systems, with particular reference to mobility and bioavailability.     

Research trends and hotspots of aquatic biofilms in freshwater environment during the last three decades: a critical review and bibliometric analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Freshwater periphytic biofilms (FPBs), existing widely in various aquatic environments, have attracted extensive attention for many years. In the...     

Passive sampling of selected pesticides in aquatic environment using polar organic chemical integrative samplers

Purpose  

Polar chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were examined for their sampling efficiency of 12 pesticides and one metabolite commonly detected in surface waters. Laboratory-based calibration experiments of POCISs were conducted. The determined passive sampling rates were applied for the monitoring of pesticides levels in Lake Amvrakia, Western Greece. Spot sampling was also performed for comparison purposes.     

Insights into conventional and recent technologies for arsenic bioremediation: A systematic review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Arsenic (As) bioremediation has been an economical and sustainable approach, being practiced widely under several As-contaminated environments....     

Prospects and limitations of phytoremediation for the removal of persistent pesticides in the environment

The environmental problems that have arisen from the use of persistent pesticides in the past, and potential sources of further contamination have been discussed. The potential and limitations of phytoremediation for removal of pesticides in the environment have been reviewed. The enzymatic processes in plants that are known to be involved in phytodegradation of pesticides, and possibilities for enhancing them have also been discussed.     

Environmental properties and effects of nonionic surfactant adjuvants in pesticides: a review

Little is known about the environmental fate of adjuvants after application on the agricultural land. Adjuvants constitute a broad range of substances, of which solvents and surfactants are the major types. Nonionic surfactants such as alcohol ethoxylates (AEOs) and alkylamine ethoxylates (ANEOs) are typically examples of pesticide adjuvants. In view of their chemical structure this paper outlines present knowledge on occurrence, fate and effect on the aquatic and terrestrial environment of the two adjuvants: AEOs and ANEOs.Both AEOs and ANEOs are used as technical mixtures. This implies that they are not one single compound but a whole range of compounds present in different ratios. Structurally both groups of substances have a mutual core with side chains of varying lengths. Each of these compounds besides having the overall ability to distribute between different phases also possesses some single compound behaviour. This is reflected in the parameters describing the fate e.g. distribution coefficient, leaching, run-off, adsorption to soil, degradation and effects of these substances. The adsorption behaviour of ANEOs in contrast to AEOs is particularly variable and matrix dependent due to the ability of the compound to ionise at environmentally relevant pH. Probably because the compounds exceeds high soil adsorption and are easily degradable which is reflected in the low environmental concentrations generally found in monitoring studies. The compounds generally possess low potency to both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. The major environmental problem related to these compounds is the ability to enhance the mobility of other pollutants in the soil column.     

Prospects in the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants from hypersaline environments: A review

Hypersaline environments are underappreciated and are frequently exposed to pollution from petroleum hydrocarbons. Unlike other environs, the high salinity conditions present are a deterrent to various remediation techniques. There is also production of hypersaline waters from oil-polluted ecosystems which contain toxic hydrophobic pollutants that are threat to public health, environmental protection, and sustainability. Currently, innovative advances are being proposed for the remediation of oil-contaminated hypersaline regions. Such advancements include the exploration and stimulation of native microbial communities capable of utilizing and degrading petroleum hydrocarbons. However, prevailing salinity in these environments is unfavourable for the growth of non-halophylic microorganisms, thus limiting effective bioremediation options. An in-depth understanding of the potentials of various remediation technologies of hydrocarbon-polluted hypersaline environments is lacking. Thus, we present an overview of petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in hypersaline ecosystems and discuss the challenges and prospects associated with several technologies that may be employed in remediation of hydrocarbon pollution in the presence of delimiting high salinities. The application of biological remediation technologies including the utilization of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms is also discussed.

     

Fate of hydrophobic organic pollutants in the aquatic environment: a review

The fate of hydrophobic organic pollutants in the aquatic environment is controlled by a variety of physical, chemical and biological processes. Some of the most important are physical transport, chemical and biological transformations, and distribution of these compounds between the various environmental compartments (atmosphere, water, sediments and biota). The major biogeochemical processes that control the fate of hydrophobic organic compounds in the aquatic environment are reviewed. These processes include evaporation, solubilization, interaction with dissolved organic matter, sediment-water partitioning, bioaccumulation and degradation. Physico-chemical parameters used to predict the aquatic fate of such compounds are also discussed.