Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part B-pesticides Food Contaminants and Agricultural Wastes最新文献

This study evaluates the heavy metal and nutritional element content in the reproductive organs of medicinal plants (Helianthus annuus, Matricaria chamomilla, Tilia argentea, Sambucus nigra, Calendula officinalis, Crataegus monogyna, Juniperus communis, Malus sylvestris, and Rosa canina) collected from the "Agroproduct" collection point in Kosovo. The main purpose of this study is to make an elemental analysis of above-mentioned plant species belonging to the Kosovo region and to clearly reveal whether these plants are consumable or safe for human health. Therefore, the parameters specified in the literature were evaluated to determine this, including metal and mineral concentration, correlation studies, and risk assessments using RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), EDI (Estimated Daily Intake), THQ (Target Hazard Quotient), and HI (Hazard Index). Results showed that C. monogyna had the highest calcium (4863.32 mg/kg) and lead (3.53 mg/kg) levels, M. chamomilla had the highest potassium (15747.64 mg/kg), S. nigra fruits had the highest magnesium (2951.42 mg/kg), and C. officinalis had the highest sodium (1751.34 mg/kg), copper (12.51 mg/kg), and zinc (34.48 mg/kg). T. argentea had elevated manganese (127.30 mg/kg), and H. annuus had the highest iron (134.68 mg/kg) and nickel (9.37 mg/kg). R. canina, J. communis, and M. sylvestris did not exhibit the highest values for any evaluated elements. Comparisons with WHO/FAO allowable limits revealed that S. nigra fruits, T. argentea, H. annuus, C. monogyna, and M. chamomilla had concentrations of chromium, lead, and manganese exceeding permissible levels. Although certain elements exceeded WHO/FAO limits, risk assessment metrics (THQ, HI) suggest that the exposure levels remain within acceptable safety margins. This study addressing a critical gap in regional phytochemical data and evaluating their safety for human consumption through nutritional profiling and toxicological risk assessment.

The treatment of effluents from the pharmaceutical industry currently remains a major challenge due to their impact on the environment and public health along with the cost of treatments. Considering these issues, our work focused on the development of materials with effective adsorption properties to treat industrial effluents based on locally available and inexpensive clays and zeolite. Local Algerian kaolin (Djebel Debbagh), palygorskite (Ghoufi) and zeolite (Tinbdar) were treated thermally and chemically prior to synthesis into mesoporous materials of hexagonal structure using pluronic P123 as surfactant. The raw and synthesized materials were tested in the adsorption of pharmaceutical effluents from industries producing antihistamine and diuretic-type drugs. Analyses of physicochemical parameters (chemical and biological oxygen demand) as well as measurement of the concentrations of PO₄³^-, NO₂^-, NH₄⁺ of effluents were done before and after the adsorption process by the raw and mesoporous clays and zeolite. The results showed a reduction of all parameters with greater efficiency of mesoporous DD3 which indicated that it is a promising mesoporous adsorbent for treating pharmaceutical effluents. Reduced rates of these three physical parameters (PO₄³^-, NO₂^-, NH₄⁺) in the case of NEUROVIT^® by mesoporous DD3 are 61%, 98% and 77%. However, PO₄³^-, NO₂^- elimination percentages DIAPHAG^® onto DD3 are 79% and 87%, respectively.

This study presents effective methods for utilizing the TiO₂ photocatalyst in environmental remediation, with a particular focus on the removal of the carbofuran pesticide (CBFP) from wastewater. Silver (Ag) was selected as a potential dopant to improve the optical properties as well as the electron-hole pair separation efficiency of TiO₂. Ag-doped TiO₂ (Ag-TiO₂) effectively decomposed 92.8% CBFP under solar light, which was significantly higher than that of TiO₂ (21.3%). Ag-TiO₂ also exhibited good reusability for CBFP degradation, with a reduction in removal efficiency of less than 3% after three cycles. In practical applications, Ag-TiO₂ successfully degraded 89.3% of CBFP in wastewater and 98.7% in surface water. The findings of this work bring an effective method for removing pesticide pollutants using Ag-TiO₂ photocatalyst.

Antibacterial agents have been used in livestock and aquaculture systems; however, residues in the environment and foodstuffs are of great concern to human health. In this study, the levels of 45 antibacterial agents in 1154 animal and fishery products collected in Tokyo (Japan) from 2020 to 2024 were assessed. Microbiological screening was performed, followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. Residues were detected in 22 samples. A total of 27 residues were detected in the positive samples, and six antibacterial agents (cefazoline, chlortetracycline, doxycycline, lincomycin, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline) were quantified. The findings indicated that 99% of the samples contained residues at regulation-approved levels, and one violation was detected. Dietary exposure was evaluated using the estimated daily intake of the violation and benchmarked against the corresponding acceptable daily intake (ADI). The %ADI value was 0.81, indicating a low health risk. Thus, monitoring residual antibacterial agents is beneficial for assessing their risks and preventing their accumulation in urban environments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of robust monitoring supported by a continuous performance evaluation using a microbiological screening method. Future monitoring should focus on managing the abuse of antibacterial agents, enhancing food safety, and safeguarding public health.

Corn is the second most cultivated crop in Brazil, nicosulfuron is widely applied in maize fields to control post-emergent weeds. Traces of nicosulfuron can be found in soil and superficial water highlighting the herbicide potential toxicity. The present work aimed to evaluate the effects of a nicosulfuron based-herbicide through bioassays with the plant model Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) and the crop plant Zea mays L (maize). The test solutions were prepared from commercial products and contained nicosulfuron at the following concentrations: 0.3; 0.6; 1.3; 2.3; 5.0; 10.0; 15.0; 20.0; 25.0 e 30.0 mg L^-1. Distilled water was used as a negative control, and aluminum solution was used as a positive control. Macroscopic analyses were performed for both models, and microscopic analysis were performed only for L. sativa. The negative interference of the nicosulfuron-based herbicide on lettuce was observed for all macroscopic parameters analyzed reducing germination, germination speed, root and shoot growth even at the dosage of use recommended for field application by the herbicide manufacturer, 5 mg L^-1. For the microscopic parameters the frequency of chromosome alterations and condensed nuclei were not significant but micronuclei were significantly increased. The data demonstrate that the herbicide based on nicosulfuron is potentially hazardous.

Mato Grosso is the largest consumer of pesticides in Brazil, and although their role in phytosanitary control is evident, environmental contamination is a concern due to their intensive use. Therefore, identifying the behavior of pesticides in the environment can assist in risk management, and the Environmental Risk Index (ERI) is an indirect way of knowing the potential of these compounds. This study was aimed at evaluating the ERI of the most sold insecticides in Mato Grosso used for the control of lepidopteran pests. The parameters evaluated were persistence in the soil, leaching, volatility, toxicological profile and recommended dose. Our findings reported on 24 insecticides, which totaled an annual amount of 23,046,348 kg of active ingredients, with acephate at the top of the ranking with 8,974,413 kg sold in 2020. This insecticide, despite being widely used, had the lowest ERI due to low persistence, leaching and volatility, and its critical factor was animal toxicity. Malathion, methoxyphenozide, chlorantraniliprole, flubendiamide, and beta-cyfluthrin had the highest ERI, with toxicological profile and persistence in the environment as critical factors. In general, all compounds exhibited medium to very high levels of toxicity, indicating the need to manage risks associated with insecticide use and select those with lower impact, to minimize damage to agroecosystems.

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES) are considered to be efficient and green solvents for the extraction of organophosphorus pesticide (OP) residues from Lonicera japonica. Characterizations of HDES were evaluated with two organic acids and two alcohols. Synthesis was performed based on menthol as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and lauryl alcohol as a hydrogen bond donor (HBD). A menthol and lauryl alcohol mixture (molar ratio of 1:1) was optimal for extracting OPs. Three pesticide residues, including chlorpyrifos (detection rate 100%), oxomethoate (30%), and triazophos (8.3%), were found in all samples. Pesticide risk was evaluated using the hazard quotient (HQ). The highest HQa and HQc values for children were from oxomethoate (3.26% and 37.39%), which presented a low risk. To reduce the risk of excessive organophosphorus pesticide residues in Lonicera japonica, oxomethoate usage should be avoided.

Background: Ciguatoxin poisoning (CP) is the most common non-bacterial seafood poisoning. The first recorded outbreak in the Canary Islands was in 2004. Since 2008, cases have been reported every year.

Aim: To summarise the epidemiological characteristics of CP outbreaks in the Canary Islands between January 1, 2008 and July 1, 2025, and to describe an outbreak produced by the consumption of a fish species not subject to ciguatoxin control in the Canary Islands (Sphyraena viridensis) purchased in a supermarket.

Methods: Retrospective observational descriptive study of the CP outbreaks in the Canary Islands. Fish remains were analyzed for any toxin detection when available.

Results: 28 outbreaks were detected. The most frequent fish was amberjack (Seriola spp.) and grouper (Epinephelus spp.). Four outbreaks were caused by species not included in the control program. Four people required hospital admission. In June 2025, an outbreak caused by a 2 kg yellowmouth purchased at a local supermarket was reported, where one of the affected persons presented symptoms for a month without being diagnosed.

Conclusion: It is advisable to have a continuous review of the species and weights in the ciguatoxin control program, as well as to train emergency physicians to be capable of recognizing the disease.

Organophosphates (OPs) are highly hazardous chemicals with broad-spectrum toxicity. Traditional in vivo methods for determining OP toxicity are time-consuming and labor-intensive. In this study, we developed a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model to predict acute rat toxicity of OPs using two-dimensional molecular and quantum chemical descriptors, optimized through genetic algorithm-based multiple linear regression (GA-MLR). The optimal model demonstrated robust performance with the following statistical parameters: coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.7451, leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) coefficient (Q²_Loo) of 0.6208, external test set coefficient of determination (R²_ext) of 0.7360. These metrics indicate excellent generalization and predictive capabilities of the model. Interpretative analysis of the model revealed that NumHDonors and PEOE_VSA were the most significant descriptors influencing OP toxicity. An increase in hydrogen bond donors within OP molecules reduces toxicity, as these donors enhance hydrophilicity, diminishing membrane permeability. Moreover, the PEOE_VSA descriptor characterizes the partial charge properties of OP molecules, reflecting their electrostatic interactions with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) during binding, which influences toxicity. This study presents an optimized modeling strategy designed for small datasets, enabling stable feature selection and accurate assessment of their contributions to toxicity prediction. This research provides a reliable QSAR approach for OP toxicity prediction while offering new insights into toxicity mechanisms.

Heavy metal contamination in aquaculture threatens fish health and consumer safety, with bioaccumulation differing between farming systems. The study compares heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Pb and Cu) contamination in fish feed, water and organs (muscle, gills and liver) of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from biofloc and pond farming systems. Samples were collected from ten biofloc tanks and ten earthen ponds, with heavy metals quantified using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Heavy metal levels in fish feed were below permissible limits, while pond water showed significantly higher (P < 0.05) contamination than biofloc water. Pond-reared tilapia exhibited higher heavy metal accumulation in muscles, gills and liver compared to biofloc-reared fish. The liver showed the highest bioaccumulation, followed by gills, in both systems. Cd levels exceeded standard limits in the liver and gills of pond-reared fish. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis revealed strong correlations between heavy metals in gills, water and liver, while muscles and feed formed a separate cluster. Pb, Cd and Cu were closely associated, suggesting a common contamination source. The health index (HI) for muscle was <1 in both systems, indicating safety for consumption. Overall, biofloc-reared tilapia was found safer for human consumption compared to pond-reared fish.