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

Agricultural activity can contaminate natural resources, such as soil, surface water and groundwater, depending on the interaction between herbicides and soil physicochemical properties that govern retention and transport within the soil profile. This study evaluates the adsorption, desorption and vertical transport of atrazine in Haplustoll soils under two management systems: continuous soybean monoculture (T1) and intensified rotations with grasses and oilseeds (T2) in southwestern Chaco, Argentina. Results show moderate atrazine retention, dependent on the applied concentration, with no significant differences between treatments. Desorption exhibited positive hysteresis, indicating slow herbicide release in successive stages. However, preferential flow through macropores dominated atrazine transport in both systems, evidencing low retention in the soil profile, with high recovery in leachates. Atrazine displayed a high leaching potential in both systems, particularly in soils with low organic carbon content.

The study investigates the transfer of pesticides from crops to the beehive and its individual components. Two categories were examined: bee products (pollen pellets, beebread, and honey) and living biological materials (forager bees, nurse bees, and larvae). Pesticide residues were detected, with varying concentrations across different time points and sample types. Pollen pellets showed the highest initial contamination, rapidly declining thereafter. Beebread displayed gradual and persistent residue accumulation, whereas honey had a delayed contamination peak and slower degradation. In living biological materials, forager and nurse bees showed significant initial contamination, rapidly decreasing over time. Larvae consistently showed minimal residues, indicating effective colony protective mechanisms. Statistical analysis confirmed time as a key factor influencing residue dynamics, highlighting different metabolic and exposure pathways. The results highlight the complexity of pesticide dynamics within bee colonies, emphasizing the importance of continuous environmental monitoring to protect bee health.

Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) have been identified as substances with severe adverse effects, including carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, and reproductive toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables from Hopelchén to provide evidence for policy recommendations on pesticide regulation. A total of 25 samples were collected and analyzed using the QuEChERS method with GC-MS/MS and LC-MS techniques. Of the 156 pesticides screened, 25 were detected, with tebuconazole, chlorantraniliprole, imidacloprid and carbendazim among the most frequent. Approximately 20% of the pesticides identified qualified as HHPs based on WHO/FAO criteria, while 60% were categorized as HHPs according to the more comprehensive criteria outlined by Pesticide Action Network International. Many of these pesticides exhibited toxicity to bees and high environmental persistence. Furthermore, 33% of the samples exceeded the European Union's Maximum Residue Limits, particularly for pesticides in papayas and bell peppers. Our findings show the presence of HHPs in the region, which represent critical hazards to ecosystem, pollinator populations, and public health. This work may contribute to the development of specific HHPs classification criteria for Mexico, thus advancing the transition toward safer, with special emphasis on vulnerable regions such as the Mayan zone in southeastern Mexico.

Water pollution associated with antibiotic residues and colored organic pollutants leads to various potential risks to human health and the environment. This work develops an economical method that is suitable for removing both antibiotic residues and colored organic pollutants from water. The oxidation process based on a noble metal (Ag)-doped zinc oxide photocatalyst (Ag-ZnO) was selected as a potential strategy for investigation. Besides, tetracycline antibiotic residues (A-Tc) and methylene blue-colored organic pollutants (D-Mb) were selected as target contaminants. With light assistance, Ag-ZnO showed significantly improved degradation efficiency for A-Tc and D-Mb at 90.6 and 97.3%, respectively. The advantages of Ag-ZnO are also confirmed by the faster degradation rate constants, which are more than twice as fast as those of the undoped sample. The mineralization process shows that 93.5% and 98.7% of organic carbon were removed from the A-Tc and D-Mb solutions, respectively. The result suggests that antibiotic residues and colored organic pollutants are being converted into inorganic substances. In addition, the benefits of using Ag-ZnO to enhance human health safety, reduce the negative effects on the environment, and decrease treatment costs are discussed.

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.