Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) hazard assessment of the banned pesticides by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control.

Abstract

This study carried out a quantitative structure-activity relationship hazard assessment of the banned pesticides in Nigeria with a view of identifying the dangers posed by these pesticides. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) and quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs), which link a compound's chemical structure to its biological activity, can be used to create safer and more effective insecticides, prioritize chemicals for testing, and reduce the number of animal studies necessary throughout the regulatory process. The QSAR hazard assessment of the banned pesticides was carried out on the VEGA software. Environmental, (eco)toxicological, reproductive/developmental, body elimination half-life, and biodegradability models of human and ecological relevance were implemented within the VEGA software. The results predicted the different hazards associated with each of the banned pesticides. All of the banned pesticides have been predicted to be toxic to some or all of the evaluated endpoints. The studies predicted these pesticides to have potential of being mutagenic, carcinogenic, and/or toxic to the reproductive system and fetal development with different half-lives. The assessment further predicted most of these compounds to be non-biodegradable with tendencies to bioaccumulate in living things and the environment. It can be concluded that these pesticides have potential to cause harm to life and the environment. The use of these chemical compounds for domestic, industrial, and agricultural applications should be in accordance with the guideline of regulatory agencies.