Insights into the ecotoxicological effects associated with imidacloprid: A Review

Imidaclopridis a neonicotinoid insecticide contently used in agricultural fields with excellent systemic and contact activity, used in the largest volume worldwide against sucking pests of Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera in chilly, cotton, grapes, groundnut, okra, paddy, sugarcane, sunflower and tomato. It functions as an agonist at the acetylcholine receptors of the pest, affecting invertebrate movements, leading to palsy and mortality. It has an approbative toxicity profile, due to its poor penetration of the blood–brain barrier in vertebrates. Moreover, it does not exhibit any mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenicor immunotoxic properties. Besides these boons of imidacloprid, several studies reported the high leaching potential and persistence of imidacloprid in the ecosystem, creating threat to non-targeted organisms by altering their biochemical and reproductive processes.