1,171 results
Search Results
2. Importance of leaf surface and formulation properties in predicting wetting outcomes.
- Author
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Nairn JJ and Forster WA
- Subjects
- Wettability, Surface Properties, Surface Tension, Agrochemicals, Plant Leaves chemistry
- Abstract
Background: Leaf wettability is a major hurdle for the retention of agrichemical sprays that is combated, in part, by using adjuvant modified formulations. Scientists must understand the properties of the leaf surface and the formulation that govern wetting to intelligently select or formulate products to target specific pests., Results: A comprehensive database comprising 11 synthetic surfaces and 54 leaf surfaces (species, adaxial and abaxial sides, cultivars, and plant age) using 35 formulations (neat solutions and adjuvants solutions at different concentrations) was compiled. Surface properties of the physical roughness and chemical polarity, as quantified by the wetting tension dielectric method, and formulation properties of surface tension and polarity, as quantified by dielectric constant, were found to govern wetting. A comprehensive wetting model was developed that employed these variables and was capable of accurately predicting the wetting outcome (R
2 = 0.86) on all the leaf and synthetic surfaces investigated. This model adequately predicts adjuvant formulation wetting despite exact formulation polarity being unknown., Conclusions: Wetting can be modelled for a wide range of surfaces and solutions. The comprehensive wetting model developed shows potential to better predict the wetting outcome of adjuvant formulations should a method to quantify the formulation dielectric constant be developed. This research provides a significant advancement in the understanding of the properties governing wetting, which may aid the selection and development of adjuvants to target specific surfaces. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.)- Published
- 2024
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3. Studies in the Area of Biosensors Reported from Shenzhen University (On-site Screening Method for Bioavailability Assessment of the Organophosphorus Pesticide, Methyl Parathion, and Its Primary Metabolite In Soils By Paper Strip Biosensor).
- Abstract
For more information on this research see: On-site Screening Method for Bioavailability Assessment of the Organophosphorus Pesticide, Methyl Parathion, and Its Primary Metabolite In Soils By Paper Strip Biosensor. Keywords: Shenzhen; People's Republic of China; Asia; Agrochemicals; Biosensors; Biotechnology; Methyl Parathion; Nanotechnology; Nitro Compounds; Nitrophenols; Organothiophosphorus Compounds; Parathion; Pesticides; Phenols EN Shenzhen People's Republic of China Asia Agrochemicals Biosensors Biotechnology Methyl Parathion Nanotechnology Nitro Compounds Nitrophenols Organothiophosphorus Compounds Parathion Pesticides Phenols 7145 7145 1 09/11/23 20230915 NES 230915 2023 SEP 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health & Medicine Week -- Research findings on Biosensors are discussed in a new report. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2023
4. Short supply chain participation, and agrochemicals' use intensity and efficiency: evidence from vegetable farms in China
- Author
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Zhang, Xiaoheng and Yu, Xiaohua
- Published
- 2021
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5. Robots poised to transform agriculture
- Author
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Bogue, Rob
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Agricultural chemicals and sustainable development: the agricultural environment Kuznets curve based on spatial panel model.
- Author
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Liu Y, Cheng X, and Li W
- Subjects
- Agriculture, Economic Development, Fertilizers, Agrochemicals, Carbon Dioxide
- Abstract
Excessive delivery of agricultural chemicals seriously threatens the ecology and environment of agricultural areas and restricts the sustainable development of agriculture. The analysis of agrochemical Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) adopting spatial econometric tools is limited. Therefore, this study adopted the spatial panel regression approach to analyze the agricultural chemicals EKC Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR). The results show that (1) both EKC curves of chemical fertilizer and pesticide of the TGRR are inverted U-shaped, and there are 53.8% and 42.3% of the counties/districts did not meet the inflection point of the EKC as regards to chemical fertilizer and pesticide. (2) The EKC of agricultural chemicals of the TGRR are stable, and the variables such as cultivated area and the urban-rural income disparity have impact on the occurrence of the inflection point of EKC. (3) There is the spatial "imitation and convergence" of agricultural chemicals among the counties in the TGRR. The findings indicate that the ecological and environmental situations of agriculture in the TGRR need urgent attention. Countermeasures aiming to alleviate the contradiction between ecological and economic development should be put forward., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2021
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7. Nanotechnology and artificial intelligence to enable sustainable and precision agriculture.
- Author
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Zhang P, Guo Z, Ullah S, Melagraki G, Afantitis A, and Lynch I
- Subjects
- Agrochemicals, Artificial Intelligence, Crop Production methods, Crops, Agricultural growth & development, Nanotechnology, Sustainable Development
- Abstract
Climate change, increasing populations, competing demands on land for production of biofuels and declining soil quality are challenging global food security. Finding sustainable solutions requires bold new approaches and integration of knowledge from diverse fields, such as materials science and informatics. The convergence of precision agriculture, in which farmers respond in real time to changes in crop growth with nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, offers exciting opportunities for sustainable food production. Coupling existing models for nutrient cycling and crop productivity with nanoinformatics approaches to optimize targeting, uptake, delivery, nutrient capture and long-term impacts on soil microbial communities will enable design of nanoscale agrochemicals that combine optimal safety and functionality profiles., (© 2021. Springer Nature Limited.)
- Published
- 2021
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8. Good practices of labor welfare and environmental protection in potato crops in Colombia : A way to contribute to the sustainable development of Colombian agriculture
- Author
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Aguilar Olivera, Albeiro Alberto and Salas Suárez, Saúl Tomás
- Published
- 2021
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9. Isolation and characterization of nutrient dependent pyocyanin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its dye and agrochemical properties.
- Author
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DeBritto S, Gajbar TD, Satapute P, Sundaram L, Lakshmikantha RY, Jogaiah S, and Ito SI
- Subjects
- Agrochemicals isolation & purification, Antifungal Agents metabolism, Culture Media, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Phenazines, Pyocyanine isolation & purification, RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics, Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Agrochemicals metabolism, Magnaporthe growth & development, Pseudomonas aeruginosa physiology, Pyocyanine metabolism, Xanthomonas physiology
- Abstract
Pyocyanin is a blue green phenazine pigment produced in large quantities by active cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with advantageous applications in medicine, agriculture and for the environment. Hence, in the present study, a potent bacterium was isolated from agricultural soil and was identified morphologically and by 16S rRNA sequencing as P. aeruginosa (isolate KU_BIO2). When the influence of nutrient supplements in both King's A and Nutrient media as amended was investigated, an enhanced pyocyanin production of 2.56 µg ml
-1 was achieved in King's A medium amended with soya bean followed by 1.702 µg ml-1 of pyocyanin from the nutrient medium amended with sweet potato. Purified pyocyanin was characterized by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer and Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Furthermore, Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrum (LCMS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) confirmed its mass value at 211 and as N-CH3 protons resonating at 3.363 ppm as a singlet respectively. The isolated pyocyanin displayed remarkable dye property by inducing color change in cotton cloth from white to pink. Lastly, the antifungal activity of test pyocyanin showed inhibition of growth of rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea and bacterial blight of rice, Xanthomonas oryzae at concentrations of 150 and 200 ppm, respectively. Thus, this investigation provides evidence for diverse actions of pyocyanin which are nutrient dependent and are capable of acting on a large scale, by utilizing microbes existing in agriculture wastes, and thus could be used as an alternative source in the making of natural textile dyes with strong durability and a broad spectrum of ecofriendly agrochemicals.- Published
- 2020
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10. Robots poised to revolutionise agriculture
- Author
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Bogue, Robert
- Published
- 2016
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11. Preparation of low-cost sludge-based highly porous biochar for efficient removal of refractory pollutants from agrochemical and pharmaceutical wastewater.
- Author
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Mian MM, Ao W, Xiao L, Xiao J, and Deng S
- Subjects
- Porosity, Adsorption, Pharmaceutical Preparations chemistry, Waste Disposal, Fluid methods, Waste Disposal, Fluid economics, Pyrolysis, Water Purification methods, Water Purification economics, Charcoal chemistry, Sewage chemistry, Water Pollutants, Chemical chemistry, Water Pollutants, Chemical isolation & purification, Wastewater chemistry, Agrochemicals chemistry
- Abstract
Producing a high-performance sludge biochar through a feasible method is a great challenge and is crucial for practicability. Herein, we reported a highly porous sludge biochar synthesized from agrochemical-pharmaceutical and municipal sludge blends through a novel pyrolysis-acid treatment-post pyrolysis method. The optimized biochar named ASMS91 obtained interconnected pores with a total pore volume of 0.894 cm
3 /g and a surface area of 691.4 m2 /g through extended acid wash and subsequent post-pyrolysis, which is superior to non-activated sludge biochar. ASMS91 removed 45.3 % of wastewater COD (156 mg/L) in 24 h, which was rapid and higher performance than commercial activated carbon (1000 iodine number). This outstanding performance is due to its high adsorption ability of long-chain aliphatic compounds (e.g., 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol, neophytadiene and eicosane) into mesopores, which accounts for 71.8 % of pore filling. ASMS91 was highly recyclable, and adsorption was reduced by only 5.3 % after the 4th cycle. It also outperformed other sludge biochar in literature in removing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS), sulfamethoxazole, methylene blue, and methylene orange. Finally, the feasibility of our proposed method was validated by a brief techno-economic analysis. This feasible approach may support future research regarding sludge valorization and low-cost chemical wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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12. Residues of agrochemicals in beebread as an indicator of landscape management.
- Author
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Bogo G, Caringi V, Albertazzi S, Capano V, Colombo R, Dettori A, Guerra I, Lora G, Bortolotti L, and Medrzycki P
- Subjects
- Bees, Animals, Italy, Agriculture, Insecticides analysis, Environmental Monitoring, Agrochemicals analysis, Pesticide Residues analysis
- Abstract
The agricultural intensification represents a major threat to biodiversity, with negative effects on the ecosystem. In particular, habitat loss and degradation, along with pesticide use have been recognised as primary factors contributing to the actual global decline of pollinators. Here we investigated the quality of agroecosystems in the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) within the national monitoring project BeeNet. We analysed pesticide residues in 100 samples of beebread collected in 25 BeeNet stations in March and June 2021 and 2022. We evaluated diversity and concentration of these chemicals, their risk (TWC) to honey bees, and their correlation with land use. Overall, in 84 % of the samples we found 63 out of 373 different pesticide residues, >90 % of them belonging to fungicides and insecticides. The TWC exceeded the risk threshold in seven samples (TWC
mix ), mostly due to only one or two compounds. We also found 15 compounds not approved in the EU as plant protection products (PPPs), raising concerns about illegal use or contamination through beeswax recycling. Samples collected in 2021 and in June presented a significantly higher number of active ingredients and TWC than those collected in 2022 and in March. The TWC calculated on single compounds (TWCcom ) exceeded the risk threshold in case of four insecticides, namely carbaryl, fipronil, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam (although each detected in only one sample). Finally, both TWC and number of active ingredients were moderately or highly positively correlated with the percentage of area covered by orchards. Considering that we found on average more than five different molecules per sample, and that we ignored potential synergistic effects, the results of this work highlight the alarming situation regarding pesticide treatments and toxicity risk for bees linked to the current agricultural practices, and the need for implementing sustainable and pollinator-friendly strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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13. Shadow prices of agrochemicals in the Chinese farming sector: A convex expectile regression approach.
- Author
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Zhou J, Mennig P, Zhou, and Sauer J
- Subjects
- China, Fertilizers, Pesticides, Agrochemicals, Agriculture economics
- Abstract
The use of agrochemical inputs has significantly enhanced agricultural yields in China; however, their excessive utilization has also caused a range of environmental issues. This paper examines the costs associated with reducing agrochemicals by employing shadow prices, which represent the value of the marginal product of agrochemicals, to further develop cost-effective environmental policy measures for reducing their usage. To this end, the shadow prices of agrochemicals have been assessed by adopting a newly developed convex expectile regression approach and using statistical data from 31 provinces in China spanning from 2005 to 2020. Furthermore, the present study investigates the disparities between shadow prices and market prices for different agrochemicals across various regions in China. The findings suggest that the costs of reducing chemical fertilizers are higher than those of reducing pesticides and plastic films. Moreover, the results indicate that central China exhibits relatively high potential for decreasing agrochemical usage. Finally, these findings can inform the Chinese government's restructuring of producer support and environmental policy in a cost-effective way to mitigate agrochemicals use in the future. Additionally, the research method employed in this study holds potential for extension to other agrochemicals-dependent countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Reimagining agrochemical pollution mitigation: Leveraging hormesis for sustainable environmental solutions.
- Author
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Agathokleous E, Guedes RNC, and Calabrese EJ
- Subjects
- Environmental Restoration and Remediation methods, Hormesis, Agrochemicals, Environmental Pollution prevention & control
- Abstract
Emerging evidence reveals that low doses of stress stimulate, and high doses suppress, organism responses - a phenomenon known as hormesis. Here, we propose a framework for harnessing hormesis principles to optimize agrochemical use and mitigate pollution. We discuss how hormesis can be applied in agrochemical context and highlight challenges and needs beyond scientific research, offering a perspective for sustainable environmental solutions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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15. Seeds of Change: Charting the Future Path of Agrochemicals through Innovation and Resourcefulness.
- Author
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Jagtap, Shrikant B.
- Subjects
AGRICULTURAL chemicals ,TECHNOLOGICAL innovations ,CLIMATE change ,FOOD security ,ENVIRONMENTAL management - Abstract
This research paper delves into the evolving landscape of agrochemicals, exploring the pivotal role of innovation and resourcefulness in shaping the future trajectory of agriculture. With the growing challenges posed by climate change, population growth, and diminishing natural resources, the agricultural sector faces an urgent need for sustainable solutions. This paper examines the innovative approaches and technologies that hold promise for addressing these challenges while ensuring food security and environmental stewardship. Through a comprehensive review of current trends, emerging technologies, and case studies, it elucidates the transformative potential of novel agrochemicals in enhancing crop productivity, minimizing environmental impact, and promoting resilience in the face of evolving agricultural dynamics. By analyzing the synergies between scientific advancements, regulatory frameworks, and market dynamics, this paper provides insights into the opportunities and challenges in navigating the future path of agrochemicals towards a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
16. Toxicological Assessments of Agrochemicals in Stingless Bees in Brazil: a Systematic Review.
- Author
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Botina LL, Barbosa WF, and Martins GF
- Subjects
- Bees drug effects, Animals, Brazil, Insecticides toxicity, Agrochemicals toxicity
- Abstract
The growing concern with the decline of pollinators worldwide is centered on honey bees, due to their wide distribution, economic, and ecological importance. This type of concern remained less evident for stingless bees, which are widely distributed in the Neotropics, until recently. Since exposure to agrochemicals has been identified as one of the potential threats to bees, the present systematic review compiled information from toxicological evaluations in stingless bees in Brazil, home to a considerable portion of the existing species. This systematic review was performed considering species, research institutions, scientific journals, metrics, experimental set ups, and agrochemicals. The first article in this topic was published in 2010. Since then, 93 scientific papers were published, which showed that there are few species of stingless bees used for toxicological evaluations and Brazilian institutions lead these evaluations. Only 1.5% of the stingless bees' species that occur in Brazil were assessed through chronic exposure in the larval stage. The Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) is responsible for 37% of the total publications. The main route of exposure was acute, using adults in laboratory conditions. The main group of agrochemicals studied were insecticides, in particular the neonicotinoids. The current results reveal the advances achieved and point out the gaps that still need to be filled considering toxicological evaluations in stingless bees., (© 2024. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)
- Published
- 2024
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17. Modification of physicochemical properties of chitosan to improve its pharmaceutical and agrochemical potential applications.
- Author
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Shete A, Chavan A, Potekar P, Yadav G, and Shah N
- Subjects
- Glycine max chemistry, Germination drug effects, Seeds chemistry, Seeds drug effects, Chemical Phenomena, Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Molecular Weight, X-Ray Diffraction, Chitosan chemistry, Solubility, Agrochemicals chemistry, Agrochemicals pharmacology, Itraconazole chemistry, Itraconazole pharmacology
- Abstract
Chitosan has received much more attention as a functional biopolymer with applications in pharmaceuticals, agricultural, drug delivery systems and cosmetics. The objectives of present investigation were to carry out modification of chitosan for enhancement of aqueous solubility, which will impart increased solubility and dissolution rate of poorly soluble drug itraconazole (ITZ) and also evaluate the modified chitosan for soyabean seed germination studies. The modification of chitosan was accomplished through the antisolvent precipitation method; employing five carboxylic acids. The resulting products were assessed for changes in molecular weight, degree of deacetylation, solubility and solid state characterization. Subsequently, the modified chitosan was complexed with itraconazole using the co-grinding technique. The prepared formulations were evaluated for solubility, FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), PXRD (Powder X-ray diffraction), in-vitro dissolution studies. Furthermore the effect of modified chitosan has been evaluated on soybean seed germination. Results demonstrated that, modified chitosan improves self and solubility of itraconazole by six folds. As there was increased degree of deacetylation of chitosan leads to improvement in solubility. The results of FTIR showed the slight shifting of peaks in co-grind formulations of itraconazole. Formulations showed reduction in crystallinity of drug which leads to enhancement in dissolution rate as compared to pure itraconazole. Retention of property of seed germination was observed with modified chitosan at optimum concentration of 3 % w/v, with benefit of enhanced aqueous solubility of chitosan. This positive result paves the way for the advancement of pharmaceutical and agrochemical products employing derivatives of chitosan., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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18. Unmanned aerial system plant protection products spraying performance evaluation on a vineyard.
- Author
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Sassu, Alberto, Psiroukis, Vasilis, Bettucci, Francesco, Ghiani, Luca, Fountas, Spyros, and Gambella, Filippo
- Subjects
PLANT products ,PLANT protection ,VINEYARDS ,MANUFACTURING processes ,PLANT diseases ,OPERATING costs ,WINERIES ,POWER plants - Abstract
In the context of increasing global food demand and the urgent need for production processes optimization, plant protection products play a key role in safeguarding crops from insects, pests, and fungi, responsible of plant diseases proliferation and yield losses. Despite the inaccurate distribution of conventional aerial spraying performed by airplanes and helicopters, Unmanned Aerial Spraying Systems (UASSs) offer low health risks and operational cost solutions, preserving crops and soil from physical damage. This study explores the impact of UASS flight height (2 m and 2.5 m above ground level), speed (1 m s
−1 and 1.5 m s−1 ), and position (over the canopy and the inter-row) on vineyard aerial spraying efficiency by analysing Water Sensitive Papers droplet coverage, density, and Number Median Diameter using a MATLAB script. Flight position factor, more than others, influenced the application results. The specific configuration of 2 m altitude, 1.5 m s−1 cruising speed, and inter-row positioning yielded the best results in terms of canopy coverage, minimizing off-target and ground dispersion, and represented the best setting to facilitate droplets penetration, reaching the lowest parts generally more affected from disease. Further research is needed to assess UASS aerial PPP distribution effectiveness and environmental impact in agriculture, crucial for technology implementation, especially in countries where aerial treatments are not yet permitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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19. Food for the future
- Author
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Zappacosta, Mario and Gomez y Paloma, Sergio
- Published
- 1999
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20. Researchers Submit Patent Application, "Method For Rapidly Detecting Pesticide Based On Thin-Layer Chromatography And Enzyme Inhibition Principle", for Approval (USPTO 20240110900).
- Subjects
PATENT applications ,PESTICIDES ,RESEARCH personnel ,ENZYMES ,PESTICIDE residues in food ,PESTICIDE pollution ,CHROMOGENIC compounds - Abstract
A patent application has been submitted for a method of rapidly detecting pesticides in agricultural products using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and enzyme inhibition principles. The current mainstream method for detecting pesticides is the enzyme inhibition method, but it has limitations in terms of extraction efficiency and accuracy. The new method combines TLC with enzyme inhibition to overcome these limitations and improve the efficiency and accuracy of pesticide residue detection. The method involves cutting a TLC plate into a rectangle, using one end to contact a sample extract for pesticide residue separation, and covering the other end with filter paper or glass fiber for pesticide enrichment. The method shows promise in reducing interference from pigments and other substances in agricultural product samples. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
21. Impact of IRS: Four-years of entomological surveillance of the Indian Visceral Leishmaniases elimination programme
- Author
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Michelle C. Stanton, Prabhas Kumar Mishra, Madhuri Swain, Gala Garrod, Laura McKenzie, Lisa Hitchins, Arti Manorama Barwa, Sridhar Srikantiah, Udita Mandal, Neeraj Agarwal, Emma Reid, Indranil Sukla, Anna Trett, Chandramani Singh, Debanjan Patra, Asgar Ali, Indrajit Chaudhuri, Janet Hemingway, Sadhana Sharma, Michael Coleman, Rudra Pratap Singh, Chandrima Das, Swikruti Mishra, Geraldine M. Foster, Ashish Srivastava, Karthick Morchan, Naresh K. Gill, Nupur Roy, Rinki M. Deb, Swapna Mondal, and Shilpa Raj
- Subjects
Insecticides ,Leishmania Donovani ,Veterinary medicine ,RC955-962 ,Indoor residual spraying ,Disease Vectors ,law.invention ,Geographical Locations ,Insecticide Resistance ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Medical Conditions ,Filter Paper ,law ,Zoonoses ,Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,Pyrethrins ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Phlebotomus ,Leishmaniasis ,Protozoans ,Leishmania ,education.field_of_study ,Pyrethroid ,biology ,Eukaryota ,Agriculture ,wr_350 ,wa_540 ,Laboratory Equipment ,Infectious Diseases ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Engineering and Technology ,Leishmaniasis, Visceral ,Biological Assay ,Female ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,Agrochemicals ,Research Article ,Neglected Tropical Diseases ,Asia ,Infectious Disease Control ,Population ,Equipment ,India ,wa_395 ,wa_670 ,Insect Control ,wa_795 ,wa_110 ,Ddt ,Parasitic Diseases ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,education ,Protozoan Infections ,Organisms ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Tropical Diseases ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Parasitic Protozoans ,Insect Vectors ,Sand Flies ,Species Interactions ,Visceral leishmaniasis ,chemistry ,Vector (epidemiology) ,People and Places ,wc_715 ,Psychodidae - Abstract
Background In 2005, Bangladesh, India and Nepal agreed to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as a public health problem. The approach to this was through improved case detection and treatment, and controlling transmission by the sand fly vector Phlebotomus argentipes, with indoor residual spraying (IRS) of insecticide. Initially, India applied DDT with stirrup pumps for IRS, however, this did not reduce transmission. After 2015 onwards, the pyrethroid alpha-cypermethrin was applied with compression pumps, and entomological surveillance was initiated in 2016. Methods Eight sentinel sites were established in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. IRS coverage was monitored by household survey, quality of insecticide application was measured by HPLC, presence and abundance of the VL vector was monitored by CDC light traps, insecticide resistance was measured with WHO diagnostic assays and case incidence was determined from the VL case register KAMIS. Results Complete treatment of houses with IRS increased across all sites from 57% in 2016 to 70% of houses in 2019, rising to >80% if partial house IRS coverage is included (except West Bengal). The quality of insecticide application has improved compared to previous studies, average doses of insecticide on filters papers ranged from 1.52 times the target dose of 25mg/m2 alpha-cypermethrin in 2019 to 1.67 times in 2018. Resistance to DDT has continued to increase, but the vector was not resistant to carbamates, organophosphates or pyrethroids. The annual and seasonal abundance of P. argentipes declined between 2016 to 2019 with an overall infection rate of 0.03%. This was associated with a decline in VL incidence for the blocks represented by the sentinel sites from 1.16 per 10,000 population in 2016 to 0.51 per 10,000 in 2019. Conclusion Through effective case detection and management reducing the infection reservoirs for P. argentipes in the human population combined with IRS keeping P. argentipes abundance and infectivity low has reduced VL transmission. This combination of effective case management and vector control has now brought India within reach of the VL elimination targets., Author summary Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a major parasitic disease in South Asia (Indian subcontinent), with 85% of the disease incidence in India. Historically VL had been controlled and almost eliminated with Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) using dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). However, reinitiating this approach in 2015 failed due to high insecticide resistance in the sand fly vector and poor IRS quality, meaning that VL elimination targets were not met. To improve this the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme changed to an effective insecticide, alpha-cypermethrin and altered the mode of application to compression pumps. Sentinel sites were established to monitor the entomological indicators, these showed the positive impact of these changes from 2016 to 2019. During this period the overall incidence of disease has decreased, and India is now on track to reach it’s target incidence for VL of less than 1/1000 people at the sub-district (block) level.
- Published
- 2021
22. Investigators at Kansas State University Discuss Findings in Hematology [Discussion of "recovery of High-quality Calcium Phosphate Fertilizer Products From Anaerobic Fermentation Bioreactor Treated Swine Wastewater", Published By Kannan Et Al.
- Subjects
BLOOD coagulation factors ,PHOSPHATE fertilizers ,PHOSPHORIC acid ,CHEMICAL engineering ,LITERATURE reviews - Abstract
A report from Kansas State University discusses the findings of a study on the recovery of high-quality calcium phosphate fertilizer products from anaerobic fermentation bioreactor treated swine wastewater. The researchers found fundamental issues with the study, including inconsistent results and a lack of understanding of phosphate precipitation with calcium oxide. The research concludes that the paper is deficient in theoretical, experimental, and practical design aspects. The study has been peer-reviewed and more information can be obtained from the researchers at Kansas State University. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
23. The use of in silico molecular modelling to screen potential estrogen mimics as part of medicines and agrochemicals development and product license applications.
- Author
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Bennie RZ and Shaw IC
- Subjects
- Humans, Animals, Reproducibility of Results, Estradiol pharmacology, Receptors, Estrogen genetics, Estrogen Receptor alpha genetics, Agrochemicals, Estrogens toxicity
- Abstract
Estrogen mimics are a diverse group of synthetic and naturally occurring compounds that can interact with estrogen receptors (ERs) in animals, including humans. These interactions rely on key structural features of 17b-estradiol (E2) and if these molecular features are in a similar spatial arrangement on other compounds, they are likely to elicit an agonist (i.e., they are E2 mimics) or antagonist response. The structural diversity of some compounds vis-à-vis analogies with E2 makes it difficult to reliably predict E2 mimicry on simple structural grounds alone. We propose a new approach methodology: in silico molecular modelling augmented by an in vitro transactivation reporter gene assay to predict E2 mimicry and thus further reduce regulatory reliance on animal studies. Transactivation reporter gene assay dose response curves and in silico molecular modelling were used to obtain EC50-values and docking parameters (DockScores), respectively of thirty E2 mimics to assess the reliability of in silico receptor interaction parameters to predict E2 mimicry. A linear relationship (R2 = 0.75) was found between DockScores and EC50s, suggesting molecular modelling is a good tool for predicting E2 mimicry in a regulatory setting., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Effects of exogenous chloride ions on the migration and transformation of Cd in a soil-rice system.
- Author
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Haijin Fan, Shengshuang Tang, Jian Long, Rujing He, Ziman Xiao, Hongbo Hou, and Peiqin Peng
- Subjects
CHLORIDE ions ,ION migration & velocity ,HEAVY metal toxicology ,SOIL solutions ,SOIL particles ,HEAVY metals - Abstract
Soil cadmium (Cd) contamination has emerged as a significant global environmental concern, posing numerous risks to individual organisms and entire ecosystems. Concurrently, the global increase in pesticide usage has elevated the influx of chloride ions (Cl-) into the soil. Given Cl-'s robust ability to coordinate and complex with various heavy metal ions, understanding its influence on the migration and transformation of Cd in soil-rice systems is essential for the rational application of pesticides and the effective mitigation of soil heavy metal pollution. In this paper, we explained the effect of Cl- on the environmental behavior of Cd in the soil-rice system in terms of growth traits, Cd uptake and accumulation by rice, and Cd solid-solution phase interface behavior through pot experiments and sand culture experiments. The results showed that Cd concentrations in all parts of the rice treated with CaCl2 during the filling period were lower than those in the Ca(NO3)2-treated group, with Cd accumulation diminishing as Cl- concentration increased. This suggests that the filling period is critical for Cd uptake and accumulation in rice. Unlike the accompanying anion NO3 -, exogenous Cl- reduced Cd concentrations in the soil solution but increased them in rice. Notably, when the Cd/Cl ratio ranged from 0.625 to 2.5, Cl- formed predominantly CdCl+-complexes with free Cd2+ in the soil solution, enhancing the mobilization of Cd bound to soil particles and its subsequent absorption by rice. This study aims to assess Cl-'s effect on Cd migration and transformation in soil-rice systems, providing insights for safe rice production on Cd-contaminated soils and rational use of chlorine-containing pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Turnover rate and fate of radioactive parathion applied to an aquatic system
- Author
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Abo‐El‐Seoud, Mohamed A. and Frost, Matthias
- Published
- 1995
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Environmental Studies of Plants Grown in Soil Polluted with Cobalt and Nickel‐56
- Author
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Abo El‐Seoud, M.A., Abdel‐Sabour, M.F., and Abdel‐Shafy, H.I.
- Published
- 1994
- Full Text
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27. Efficacy of indoor residual spraying with broflanilide (TENEBENAL), a novel meta-diamide insecticide, against pyrethroid-resistant anopheline vectors in northern Tanzania: An experimental hut trial
- Author
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Graham J. Small, Ezekia Kisengwa, Mark Rowland, Baltazari Manunda, Janneke Snetselaar, Franklin W. Mosha, Matthew J. Kirby, and David Malone
- Subjects
Insecticides ,Mosquito Control ,Physiology ,Indoor residual spraying ,Disease Vectors ,Mosquitoes ,Tanzania ,Toxicology ,Insecticide Resistance ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Medical Conditions ,Filter Paper ,Pyrethrins ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Mud ,Multidisciplinary ,Pyrethroid ,biology ,Eukaryota ,Agriculture ,Mineralogy ,Body Fluids ,Insects ,Laboratory Equipment ,Infectious Diseases ,Blood ,qx_510 ,Benzamides ,Engineering and Technology ,Medicine ,Anatomy ,Agrochemicals ,Research Article ,Arthropoda ,Death Rates ,Science ,Equipment ,wa_395 ,Mosquito Vectors ,Population Metrics ,Anopheles ,parasitic diseases ,qx_600 ,medicine ,Anopheles arabiensis ,Parasitic Diseases ,Animals ,Prototypes ,Humans ,Cross-resistance ,Population Biology ,Organisms ,Biology and Life Sciences ,wa_240 ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Tropical Diseases ,Invertebrates ,Insect Vectors ,Malaria ,wc_750 ,Species Interactions ,Technology Development ,chemistry ,Insecticide resistance ,Earth Sciences ,Broflanilide ,Zoology ,Entomology - Abstract
Novel chemistry for vector control is urgently needed to counter insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. Here a new meta-diamide insecticide, broflanilide (TENEBENALTM), was evaluated in East African experimental huts in Moshi, northern Tanzania. Two consecutive experimental hut trials with broflanilide 50WP were conducted; the first evaluating the efficacy of three concentrations, 50 mg/m2, 100 mg/m2, and 200 mg/m2 using a prototype formulation, and the second trial evaluating an improved formulation. The IRS treatments were applied on both mud and concrete surfaces and efficacy was monitored over time. The mortality, blood-feeding inhibition and exiting behaviour of free-flying wild mosquitoes was compared between treatment arms. Additionally, cone assays with pyrethroid-susceptible and resistant mosquito strains were conducted in the huts to determine residual efficacy. The first trial showed a dosage-mortality response of the prototype formulation and 3–8 months of residual activity, with longer activity on concrete than mud. The second trial with an improved formulation showed prolonged residual efficacy of the 100 mg/m2 concentration to 5–6 months on mud, and mosquito mortality on the concrete surface ranged between 94–100% for the full duration of the trial. In both trials, results with free-flying, wild Anopheles arabiensis echoed the mortality trend shown in cone assays, with the highest dose inducing the highest mortality and the improved formulation showing increased mortality rates. No blood-feeding inhibition or insecticide-induced exiting effects were observed with broflanilide. Broflanilide 50WP was effective against both susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant mosquito strains, demonstrating an absence of cross resistance between broflanilide and pyrethroids. The improved formulation, which has now been branded VECTRONTM T500, resulted in a prolonged residual efficacy. These results indicate the potential of this insecticide as an addition to the arsenal of IRS products needed to maintain both control of malaria and resistance management of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.
- Published
- 2021
28. Food and the environment
- Author
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Bender, A.E. and Bender, D.A.
- Published
- 1995
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Retrospective evaluation of the eye irritation potential of agrochemical formulations.
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Choksi N, Latorre A, Catalano S, Grivel A, Baldassari J, Pires J, Corvaro M, Silva M, Ogasawara M, Inforzato M, Habe P, Murata R, Stinchcombe S, Kolle SN, Masinja W, Perjessy G, Daniel A, and Allen D
- Subjects
- Animals, Retrospective Studies, Animal Testing Alternatives, Eye, Agrochemicals toxicity, Agrochemicals chemistry, Irritants
- Abstract
Multiple in vitro eye irritation methods have been developed and adopted as OECD health effects test guidelines. However, for predicting the ocular irritation/damage potential of agrochemical formulations there is an applicability domain knowledge gap for most of the methods. To overcome this gap, a retrospective evaluation of 192 agrochemical formulations with in vivo (OECD TG 405) and in vitro (OECD TG 437, 438, and/or 492) data was conducted to determine if the in vitro methods could accurately assign United Nations Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) eye irritation hazard classifications. In addition, for each formulation the eye irritation classification was derived from the classification of the contained hazardous ingredients and their respective concentration in the product using the GHS concentration threshold (CT) approach. The results herein suggest that the three in vitro methods and the GHS CT approach were highly predictive of formulations that would not require GHS classification for eye irritation. Given most agrochemical formulations fall into this category, methods that accurately identify non-classified agrochemical formulations could significantly reduce the use of animals for this endpoint., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)
- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
30. Organic cultivation practices enhanced antioxidant activities and secondary metabolites in giant granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis L.)
- Author
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Huei Hong Lee, Nur Shahirah Shahbani, Muta Harah Zakaria, Shiamala Devi Ramaiya, Yong Jun Xiao, and Japar Sidik Bujang
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Leaves ,Antioxidant ,DPPH ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Flavonoid ,Phytochemicals ,Plant Science ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry ,Antioxidants ,Mass Spectrometry ,Passiflora ,Anthocyanins ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Metabolites ,Food science ,Secondary Metabolites ,Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,0303 health sciences ,Organic Agriculture ,Principal Component Analysis ,Microscopy ,Multidisciplinary ,Giant granadilla ,biology ,Chemistry ,Pulp (paper) ,Plant Anatomy ,Discriminant Analysis ,Eukaryota ,Light Microscopy ,Agriculture ,Plants ,Phytochemical ,Physical Sciences ,Metabolome ,Medicine ,Agrochemicals ,Research Article ,Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching ,Science ,engineering.material ,Research and Analysis Methods ,Fruits ,03 medical and health sciences ,Isomerism ,Phenols ,medicine ,Fertilizers ,030304 developmental biology ,Flavonoids ,Plant Extracts ,Organisms ,Chemical Compounds ,Biology and Life Sciences ,biology.organism_classification ,Terpenoid ,Plant Leaves ,Metabolism ,Fruit ,engineering ,010606 plant biology & botany - Abstract
Passiflora quadrangularis L. belongs to the family Passifloraceae which bears larger fruit with edible juicy mesocarp and pulp known as a good source of phytochemicals. Cultivation and plant management practices are known to influence the phytochemical compositions of agricultural produce. This study aimed to examine the influence of the cultivation practices on the antioxidant activities and secondary metabolites of the organically and conventionally grown P. quadrangularis. Findings revealed organically treated P. quadrangularis plants showed enhancement in their antioxidant properties and secondary metabolites profiles. Among the plant parts, leaves of P. quadrangularis grown organically possessed higher antioxidant activities compared to the conventional in all assays evaluated. The antioxidant activities in the edible parts of the P. quadrangularis fruit have also been enhanced through organic cultivation with significantly higher total phenolic content and DPPH in mesocarp, and the pulp showed higher total flavonoid content, DPPH and FRAP. This observation is supported by a higher level of vitamins and secondary metabolites in the samples. The secondary metabolites profile showed mesocarps were phenolic rich, the pulps were flavonoids rich while leaves showed good composition of phenolics, flavonoids and terpenoids with outstanding antioxidant activities. The common secondary metabolites for organically produced P. quadrangularis in different plant parts include 2-isopropyl-3-methoxycinnamic acid (mesocarp and pulp), myricetin isomers (pulp and leaves), and malvidin-3-O-arabinoside isomers (pulp and leaves). This study confirmed that organic cultivated P. quadrangularis possessed higher antioxidant activities contributed by its vitamins and secondary metabolites.
- Published
- 2021
31. An investigation into the current market for fruit in the UK and the measures taken to promote an increase in consumer consumption
- Author
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Clarke, Jill and Moran, Anne
- Published
- 1995
- Full Text
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32. High-throughput analysis of insecticides on malaria vectors using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
- Author
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Spielmeyer, Astrid, Schetelig, Marc F., Etang, Josiane, and Institut für Insektenbiotechnologie
- Subjects
Male ,Insecticides ,Arthropoda ,Death Rates ,Science ,Anopheles Gambiae ,Equipment ,Mosquito Vectors ,Disease Vectors ,Mosquitoes ,Analytical Chemistry ,Population Metrics ,Filter Paper ,Chemical Analysis ,parasitic diseases ,Anopheles ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Parasitic Diseases ,ddc:630 ,Animals ,Population Biology ,Organisms ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Eukaryota ,Agriculture ,Tropical Diseases ,Invertebrates ,Insect Vectors ,Malaria ,Insects ,Laboratory Equipment ,Species Interactions ,Chemistry ,Infectious Diseases ,Physical Sciences ,Medicine ,Engineering and Technology ,Biological Assay ,Female ,Agrochemicals ,Research Article - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Different setups and protocols have been developed for investigating insecticide effects on Anopheles (An.) mosquitoes, vectors of malaria. However, chemical uptake resulting from their tarsal contact with insecticide-treated material has seldom been investigated. To address the challenges encountered in the interpretation of bioassay data, a high throughput method for chemical analysis on malaria vectors was developed and validated for five selected insecticides including alpha-cypermethrin (aCYP), deltamethrin (DM), etofenprox (EPX), permethrin (PM), pirimiphos-methyl (PPM). METHODS: The method includes a single chemical extraction step via an ultrasound probe on mosquito samples and analysis via liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The protocol was established for two malaria vector species, Anopheles gambiae senso stricto (s.s.) and An. stephensi, both males and females. Recovery rates ranged from 70 to 100% without any influence of sex or species. The method was efficiently applied to female An. gambiae s.s. of the KISUMU1 reference strain, after susceptibility tests using the World Health Organization´s standard protocol. RESULTS: Susceptibility tests revealed 13.4-18.4 minutes knockdown times for 50% mosquitoes during exposure to EPX and pyrethroids. The mortality rates 24 hours post-exposure to insecticides were mostly 99-100%, except in two PM and three PPM assays suggesting possible or confirmed resistance to these insecticides. The mean insecticide uptake in dead mosquitoes ranged from 23 pg (aCYP) to 1812 pg (EPX) per specimen. However, the mean uptake in survivors to PM and PPM was reduced by at least 25%, suggesting that acute doses were not achieved in these specimens during bioassays. CONCLUSIONS: The developed and validated UHPLC-MS/MS method could be used to address some limitations of bioassays or to assess the penetration of insecticides in mosquito matrix with reference to cuticle thickness and other insecticide resistance mechanisms.
- Published
- 2019
33. Bioaccumulation of pesticide residue in earthworms collected from the agricultural soils of Kuttanad—a unique agroecosystem in India
- Author
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Sruthi, Sasidharan Nair, Ramasamy, Eswara Venkatesaperumal, and Shyleshchandran, Mohanachandran Nair
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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34. Controlled release fertilizers (CRFs) for climate-smart agriculture practices: a comprehensive review on release mechanism, materials, methods of preparation, and effect on environmental parameters.
- Author
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Jariwala, Hiral, Santos, Rafael M., Lauzon, John D., Dutta, Animesh, and Wai Chiang, Yi
- Subjects
CONTROLLED release of fertilizers ,SOIL fertility ,FERTILIZERS ,EMISSIONS (Air pollution) ,SOIL erosion ,CROP yields - Abstract
Fertilizers play an essential role in increasing crop yield, maintaining soil fertility, and provide a steady supply of nutrients for plant requirements. The excessive use of conventional fertilizers can cause environmental problems associated with nutrient loss through volatilization in the atmosphere, leaching to groundwater, surface run-off, and denitrification. To mitigate environmental issues and improve the longevity of fertilizer in soil, controlled release fertilizers (CRFs) have been developed. The application of CRFs can reduce the loss of nutrients, provide higher nutrient use efficiency, and improve soil health simultaneously to achieve the goals of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices. The major findings of this review paper are (1) CRFs can prevent direct exposure of fertilizer granule to soil and prevent loss of nutrients such as nitrate and nitrous oxide emissions; (2) CRFs are less affected by the change in environmental parameters, and that can increase longevity in soil compared to conventional fertilizers; and (3) CRFs can maintain required soil nitrogen levels, increase water retention, reduce GHG emissions, lead to optimum pH for plant growth, and increase soil organic matter content. This paper could give good insights into the ongoing development and future perspectives of CRFs for CSA practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. The quest for metabolic biomarkers of agrochemicals exposure via in vitro studies and suspect screening.
- Author
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Huang Y, Law JC, and Leung KS
- Subjects
- Humans, Ecosystem, Biomarkers, Agrochemicals toxicity, Pesticides toxicity
- Abstract
Numerous agrochemicals, including pesticides and herbicides, are applied in modern agriculture, resulting in concerns for the ecosystem and human safety as humans are easily exposed to these compounds. Many agrochemicals, and their transformation products or metabolites, have shown toxicity in in vitro and in vivo studies. However, given the rapid development of novel agrochemicals, for many there is no information about their effects nor about metabolic transformations when ingested by humans. Tracing biomarkers may be the best method for assessing the impacts of agrochemicals. A combination of in vitro metabolism study and suspect screening of human samples (e.g., urine, blood) can be utilized to efficiently find biomarkers for agrochemical exposure. In the work reported here, we determined the in vitro metabolic profiling of six prioritized pesticides and synergists, namely boscalid, carbendazim, piperonyl butoxide, spiroxamine, dimethomorph and fludioxonil, in human liver microsomes. 17 major metabolites were structurally elucidated by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Major metabolic transformation processes (e.g., hydroxylation, demethylation and oxidation) were proposed for each pesticide. Individual in silico toxicity assessments showed that some metabolites had the same or even enhanced toxicity compared to parent compounds. Information about these metabolites obtained from HRMS was used for suspect screening in human activities related samples. Carbendazim and a metabolite of fludioxonil were identified in wastewater and laboratory urine samples, respectively. Our findings provide concrete evidence for the use of in vitro metabolites as biomarkers in biomonitoring studies of potential exposure to toxic chemicals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. The EEC Organic Food Proposal
- Author
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Gardner, Ken
- Published
- 1990
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Evaluation of genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of inhabitants of Vila Rural Água Viva, Brazil, exposed to agrochemicals using the micronucleus buccal cytome assay.
- Author
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Bressiani PA, Alves GL, de Marco IG, Biffi MT, Ishikawa S, Manosso FC, Gomes EMV, Pokrywiecki TS, Schmitz APO, and Düsman E
- Subjects
- Humans, Brazil, Mouth Mucosa, Micronucleus Tests methods, DNA Damage, Mutagens toxicity, Water, Agrochemicals toxicity, Occupational Exposure adverse effects, Occupational Exposure analysis
- Abstract
The aim of this study was to carry out a pilot investigation, using a buccal micronucleus cytome assay, with the population of Vila Rural Água Viva (Francisco Beltrão, Paraná, Brazil), environmentally exposed to agrochemicals. The data shows statistically differences between the control group (not exposed) and the population of Vila Rural regarding the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity. There was no significant change between the average relative frequencies of these data whether divided between smokers and non-smokers, or practitioners of physical activities or not. It was also observed that age or time of exposure to agrochemicals did not show a linear relationship with the average relative frequencies of cytotoxicity and mutagenicity data. The work shows the presence of 2,4-D herbicide in water sample of community, then it is hoped that the results will assist in guiding the dangers to health and the environment from exposure to agrochemicals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Effect of extraction conditions on the saccharide (neutral and acidic) composition of the crude pectic extract from various agro-industrial residues
- Author
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Marc Wijnants, Neha Babbar, Stefano Sforza, Winnie Dejonghe, Sandra Van Roy, Augusta Caligiani, and Kathy Elst
- Subjects
Crops, Agricultural ,0106 biological sciences ,Arabinose ,food.ingredient ,Pectin ,Rhamnose ,02 engineering and technology ,Chemical Fractionation ,engineering.material ,Polysaccharide ,01 natural sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,food ,010608 biotechnology ,Botany ,Ammonium ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Chromatography ,Molecular Structure ,Pulp (paper) ,Extraction (chemistry) ,Pomace ,General Chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Chemistry ,chemistry ,engineering ,Pectins ,Agrochemicals ,0210 nano-technology ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Engineering sciences. Technology - Abstract
The influence of different extraction methodologies was assessed on the composition of both neutral (arabinose, rhamnose, galactose) and acidic (galacturonic acid) pectic polysaccharides obtained from four agro-industrial residues, namely, berry pomace (BP), onion hulls (OH), pressed pumpkin (PP), and sugar beet pulp (SBP). For acidic pectic polysaccharides, the extraction efficiency was obtained as BP (nitric acid-assisted extraction, 2 h, 62.9%), PP (enzymatic-assisted extraction, 12 h, 75.0%), SBP (enzymatic-assisted extraction, 48 h, 89.8%; and nitric acid-assisted extraction, 4 h, 76.5%), and OH (sodium hexametaphosphate-assisted extraction, 0.5 h, 100%; and ammonium oxalate-assisted extraction, 0.5 h, 100%). For neutral pectic polysaccharides, the following results were achieved: BP (enzymatic-assisted extraction, 24 h, 85.9%), PP (nitric acid-assisted extraction, 6 h, 82.2%), and SBP (enzymatic assisted extraction, 48 h, 97.5%; and nitric acid-assisted extraction, 4 h, 83.2%). On the basis of the high recovery of pectic sugars, SBP and OH are interesting candidates for the further purification of pectin and production of pectin-derived products.
- Published
- 2016
39. Assessing the impact of agrochemicals on schistosomiasis transmission: A mathematical study.
- Author
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Cai, Liming, Yue, Peixia, Ghosh, Mini, and Li, Xuezhi
- Subjects
SCHISTOSOMIASIS ,AGRICULTURAL chemicals ,AGRICULTURAL pollution ,PARASITIC diseases ,HERBICIDES - Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a snail-borne parasitic disease, which is affecting almost 240 million people worldwide. The number of humans affected by schistosomiasis is continuously increasing with the rise in the use of agrochemicals. In this paper, a mathematical model is formulated and analyzed to assess the effect of agrochemicals on the transmission of schistosomiasis. The proposed model incorporates the effects of fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides on susceptible snails and snail predators along with schistosomiasis disease transmission. The existence and stability of the equilibria in the model are discussed. Sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the key parameters of the proposed model, which contributes most in the transmission of this disease. Numerical simulations are also performed to assess the impact of fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides on schistosomiasis outbreaks. Our study reveals that the agricultural pollution can enhance the transmission intensity of schistosomiasis, and in order to prevent the outbreak of schistosomiasis, the use of pesticides should be controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Nanotechnology in agriculture: Comparison of the toxicity between conventional and nano-based agrochemicals on non-target aquatic species.
- Author
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Zhang Y and Goss GG
- Subjects
- Agriculture methods, Drug Compounding, Agrochemicals chemistry, Agrochemicals toxicity, Nanotechnology methods
- Abstract
Increased crop production is necessary to keep up with rising food demand. However, conventional agricultural practices and agrochemicals are unable to sustain further increases without serious risk of adverse environmental consequences. The implementation of nanotechnology in agriculture practices has been increasing in recent years and has shown tremendous potential to boost crop production. The rapid growth in development and use of nano-agrochemicals in agriculture will inevitably result in more chemicals reaching water bodies. Some unique properties of nanoformulations may also alter the toxicity of the AI on aquatic organisms when compared to their conventional counterparts. Results from studies on conventional formulations may not properly represent the toxicity of new nanoformulations in the aquatic environment. As a result, current guidelines derived from conventional formulations may not be suitable to regulate those newly developed nanoformulations. Current knowledge on the toxicity of nano-agrochemicals on aquatic organisms is limited, especially in an ecologically relevant setting. This review complies and analyzes 18 primary studies based on 7 criteria to provide a comprehensive analysis of the available toxicity information of nano-agrochemicals and their conventional counterparts on aquatic organisms. Our analysis demonstrates that the overall toxicity of nano-agrochemicals on non-target aquatic species is significantly lower as compared to conventional counterparts. However, further dividing formulations into three categories (organic, bulk and ionic) shows that some nanoformulations can be more toxic when compared to bulk materials but less toxic as compared to ionic formulations while organic nanopesticides do not show a general trend in overall toxicity. Moreover, our analysis reveals the limitations of current studies and provides recommendations for future toxicity studies to ensure the effective and sustainable application of nano-agrochemicals, which will be beneficial to both the agrochemical industry and regulatory agencies alike., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Ca2+-Triggered Interaction of Amphiphilic Alginate and Soil to Facilitate Agrochemical Adsorption.
- Author
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Zhou, Qichang, Zhang, Siqi, Peng, Yang, Fang, Xiuqin, Zhao, Xinyu, Yu, Gaobo, Xie, Yanli, Li, Jiacheng, and Feng, Yuhong
- Subjects
AGRICULTURAL chemicals ,ALGINIC acid ,SOILS ,SOIL remediation ,ADSORPTION (Chemistry) ,TRANSMISSION electron microscopy - Abstract
Agrochemicals provide huge agronomic and economic benefits. However, excessive agrochemicals cause serious environmental pollution. The use of surfactants can effectively improve the utilization rate of agrochemicals in the soil, and an amphiphilic alginate derivative (Ugi-alg) was prepared in this work. This paper mainly discussed the affinity between Ugi-alg and soil colloids and the influence of Ugi-alg on the adsorption behavior of pesticides on colloidal particles. In the presence of 2.4 mM Ca
2+ , the affinity between soil colloids and Ugi-alg (30 mg/L) was enhanced (~ − 12.33 mV) compared with pure soil colloids (~ − 30 mV). The strong affinity between Ugi-alg and the colloids reduced the migration of acetamiprid. Transmission electron microscopy showed that soil colloids were wrapped by the network structure of Ugi-alg, indicating that Ugi-alg easily adhered to the surface of soil colloids. Studies of the adsorption showed the adsorption capacity of acetamiprid on soil colloids was 556 mg/g in the presence of Ugi-alg (30 mg/L) and Ca2+ (2.4 mM). And the adsorption behavior of acetamiprid in soil colloids was also not greatly affected by changes in pH and temperature. Ugi-alg is a degradable polysaccharide-based surfactant which provides a new concept and a practical method for the remediation of soil pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Evaluation of Stability and Biological Activity of Solid Nanodispersion of Lambda-Cyhalothrin
- Author
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Haixin Cui, Yan Wang, Manli Yu, Bo Cui, Zhanghua Zeng, Changjiao Sun, Xiang Zhao, Zhenzhong Pan, and Lei Feng
- Subjects
Crops, Agricultural ,Agrochemical ,Science ,Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ,Biological Availability ,Environmental pollution ,Environment ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Drug Stability ,Crop production ,Nitriles ,Pyrethrins ,Nanotechnology ,Organic Chemicals ,Pesticides ,Multidisciplinary ,Pesticide residue ,Ecology ,business.industry ,Pesticide Residues ,Pesticide ,Plants ,Pulp and paper industry ,Environmentally friendly ,Biotechnology ,Bioavailability ,Cyhalothrin ,chemistry ,Solvents ,Medicine ,business ,Agrochemicals ,Research Article - Abstract
Pesticides are essential agrochemicals used to protect plants from diseases, pests and weeds. However, the formulation defects of conventional pesticides cause food toxicity and ecological environmental problems. In this study, a novel, efficient and environmentally friendly formulation of lambda-cyhalothrin, a solid nanodispersion, was successfully developed based on melt-emulsification and high-speed shearing methods. The solid nanodispersion presented excellent advantages over conventional pesticide formulations in such formulation functions as dispersibility, stability and bioavailability. The formulation is free of organic solvents, and the use of surfactant is reduced. Therefore, the application of the solid nanodispersion in crop production will improve efficacy and reduce the occurrence of both pesticide residues in food and environmental pollution from pesticides.
- Published
- 2015
43. Cellulose nanocarriers via miniemulsion allow Pathogen-Specific agrochemical delivery.
- Author
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Machado TO, Beckers SJ, Fischer J, Sayer C, de Araújo PHH, Landfester K, and Wurm FR
- Subjects
- Cellulose, Humans, Plant Diseases, Agrochemicals, Hypocreales
- Abstract
The current spraying of agrochemicals is unselective and ineffective, consuming a high amount of fungicides, which endangers the environment and human health. Cellulose-based nanocarriers (NCs) are a promising tool in sustainable agriculture and suitable vehicles for stimuli-responsive release of agrochemicals to target cellulase-segregating fungi, which cause severe plant diseases such as Apple Canker. Herein, cellulose was modified with undec-10-enoic acid to a hydrophobic and cross-linkable derivative, from which NCs were prepared via thiol-ene addition in miniemulsion. During the crosslinking reaction, the NCs were loaded in situ with hydrophobic fungicides, Captan and Pyraclostrobin. NCs with average sizes ranging from 200 to 300 nm and an agrochemical-load of 20 wt% were obtained. Cellulose-degrading fungi, e.g. Neonectria. ditissima which is responsible for Apple Canker, lead to the release of fungicides from the aqueous NC dispersions suppressing fungal growth. In contrast, the non-cellulase segregating fungi, e.g. Cylindrocladium buxicola, do not degrade the agrochemical-loaded NCs. This selective action against Apple Canker fungi, N. ditissima, proves the efficacy of NC-mediated drug delivery triggered by degradation in the exclusive presence of cellulolytic fungi. Cellulose NCs represent a sustainable alternative to the current unselective spraying of agrochemicals that treats many crop diseases ineffectively., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Potential Climate Change Mitigation Opportunities in Waste Management Sector in Vietnam
- Author
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RCEE Energy and Environment JSC and Full Advantage Co., Ltd.
- Subjects
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES ,SOLID WASTES ,WASTE ,CARBON FINANCE ,THERMAL ENERGY ,HEALTHCARE WASTE ,BIOGAS DIGESTERS ,BIOMASS ENERGY ,URBAN HOUSEHOLDS ,CROP RESIDUES ,WASTE GENERATION ,MUNICIPAL WASTE ,AGROCHEMICALS ,EMISSIONS ,RENEWABLE ENERGY ,INDUSTRIAL SOURCES ,WATER POLLUTION ,URBAN SEWER ,SEWAGE ,LATRINES ,ORGANIC MATTER ,FERTILIZERS ,EMISSION REDUCTION POTENTIAL ,FOSSIL FUELS ,PLASTIC ,HEAT PRODUCTION ,METALS ,DESLUDGING ,WATER CONTAMINATION ,ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS ,LAKES ,WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT ,BOILERS ,WASTEWATER TREATMENTS ,COMBUSTION ,ORGANIC CARBON ,GARBAGE ,METHANE EMISSIONS ,SURFACE WATER ,SLUDGE TREATMENT ,EMISSION FACTORS ,MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE ,FUEL CONSUMPTION ,FUEL OIL ,OZONE ,METHANE PRODUCTION ,GHGS ,INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE ,GAS PRODUCTION ,EFFLUENTS ,HUMAN WASTE ,SANITATION SYSTEMS ,DNA ,EMISSION REDUCTIONS ,ANIMAL WASTE ,FOSSIL FUEL ,CROP PRODUCTION ,RESIDUES ,GREENHOUSE ,BIODEGRADABLE WASTE ,LITTER ,ORGANIC WASTE ,BIOGAS DIGESTER ,FLUIDIZED BED ,NITROUS OXIDE ,WASTEWATER TREATMENT ,CLIMATE CHANGE ,ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ,LANDFILL GAS ,ANAEROBIC LAGOONS ,BIOMASS ,ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION ,CARBON ,WASTE COLLECTION ,METHANE ,PESTICIDES ,ELECTRICITY GENERATION ,CENTRALIZED COMPOSTING ,BIOGAS PRODUCTION ,RUNOFF ,GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REDUCTION ,EMISSION FACTOR ,NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS ,LANDFILL COVERS ,AIR ,N2O ,FURNACES ,CALORIFIC VALUE ,PIT LATRINES ,CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS ,INDUSTRIAL HAZARDOUS WASTES ,CO ,GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION ,INDUSTRIAL WASTE ,ANIMAL WASTES ,CO2 ,INCINERATION ,DUMP SITES ,KILNS ,MOISTURE CONTENT ,BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND ,WASTEWATER ,FUELS ,BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT ,GLASS ,COD ,COGENERATION ,MARINE ENVIRONMENT ,PAPER PRODUCTS ,HEALTHCARE WASTES ,OILS ,POLYETHYLENE ,BASELINE EMISSIONS ,WATER SUPPLY ,MSW ,GARDENS ,SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ,PONDS ,CLIMATE ,METHANE RECOVERY ,LININGS ,LANDFILL DISPOSAL ,ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ,GHG ,MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER ,URBAN SANITATION ,MINING ,SANITARY LANDFILLS ,RIVERS ,WOOD PRODUCTS ,CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION ,SEPTIC TANKS ,RIVER BASINS ,RUBBER INDUSTRY ,AIR EMISSIONS ,EMISSION RATE ,BOD ,GASES ,WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS ,OXYGEN ,CHEMICALS ,PLASTICS ,WASTE WATER ,GAS ENGINES ,SANITARY LANDFILL ,ACTIVATED SLUDGE ,ANIMAL MANURE ,LEACHATE ,AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ,COMPOST ,LANDFILLS ,CONSTRUCTION ,EMISSIONS REDUCTION ,DIESEL ,OZONE PROTECTION ,DECOMPOSITION OF WASTE ,DISPOSAL SERVICES ,TIRES ,WASTE TREATMENT ,NH3 ,SOLID WASTE GENERATION ,STRAW ,BIOGAS ,GENERATION RATE ,GREENHOUSE GAS ,DEWATERING ,POWER PLANTS ,INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER ,RURAL SANITATION ,ORGANIC WASTES ,LANDFILL ,INDUSTRIAL ZONES ,CALCULATION ,POLLUTION ,SANITATION ,INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES ,GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES ,WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS ,DOMESTIC WASTEWATER ,AEROBIC PROCESS ,ANIMALS ,DISPOSAL FACILITIES ,SANITATION TECHNOLOGY ,ATMOSPHERE ,COMPOSTING ,WASTE MANAGEMENT ,GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ,INDUSTRIAL AREAS ,TRANSFER POINTS ,ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING ,INCINERATORS ,ENERGY PRODUCTION ,LANDFILL METHANE ,ELECTRICITY ,SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL ,WASTE COMPOSITION ,DISPOSAL SITES ,GAS PROJECT ,WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ,ANAEROBIC TREATMENT ,CARBON DIOXIDE ,ANIMAL HUSBANDRY ,LANDFILL SITE ,ORGANIC SOLID WASTES ,DUMPSITE ,LAND APPLICATION ,IPCC ,CROP CULTIVATION ,ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ,LARGE SCALE COMPOSTING ,EMISSION REDUCTION ,MUNICIPAL SOLID ,MARKET WASTE ,HAZARDOUS WASTE ,GREENHOUSE GASES ,WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM ,SEWER SYSTEMS ,TEXTILE INDUSTRY ,COMPOSTING TOILETS ,ASH ,HEAT ,INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT ,POWER GENERATION ,AGRICULTURAL WASTES ,INDUSTRIAL WASTES ,ORGANIC DECOMPOSITION ,COMPOSTING PROJECTS ,COMPOSTING FACILITIES ,CH4 ,DISPOSAL PRACTICES ,MANURE ,ENERGY EFFICIENCY ,GASIFICATION ,SLUDGE DISPOSAL ,NATURAL RESOURCES ,WASTE DISPOSAL ,WASTEWATER DISPOSAL ,EMISSION ,WASTEWATER USE - Abstract
Along with economic growth and improved living standards, waste from households, industries, and commercial or service establishments is expected to increase rapidly over the next years. Managing this waste is a hard challenge for the Government of Vietnam because of its substantial cost and lack of awareness and participation of people and businesses. Wastes can be classified according to: their form (wastewater, solid waste); their origin (industrial wastes, agricultural wastes, urban (municipal) wastes); and their hazardous nature (non-hazardous or hazardous).
- Published
- 2009
45. Xenobiotics enhance laccase activity in alkali-tolerant γ-proteobacterium JB
- Author
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Mona Batish, Gursharan Singh, Prince Sharma, and Neena Capalash
- Subjects
Neutral red ,Base (chemistry) ,lacase ,γ-proteobacterium ,medicine.disease_cause ,Microbiology ,dyes ,laccase ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Industrial Microbiology ,medicine ,xenobiotics ,Atrazine ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Laccase ,Chromatography ,Pesticide ,agroquímicos ,xenobióticos ,chemistry ,Indigo carmine ,corantes ,Xenobiotic ,Genotoxicity ,Research Paper ,agrochemicals - Abstract
Various genotoxic textile dyes, xenobiotics, substrates (10 µM) and agrochemicals (100 µg/ml) were tested for enhancement of alkalophilic laccase activity inγ-proteobacterium JB. Neutral Red, Indigo Carmine, Naphthol Base Bordears and Sulphast Ruby dyes increased the activity by 3.7, 2.7, 2.6 and 2.3 fold respectively. Xenobiotics/substrates like p-toluidine, 8-hydroxyquinoline and anthracine increased it by 3.4, 2.8 and 2.3 fold respectively. Atrazine and trycyclozole pesticides enhanced the activityby 1.95 and 1.5 fold respectively. Vários corantes têxteis genotóxicos, xenobióticos, substratos (10 mM) e agroquímicos (100 mM/mL) foram testados quanto ao aumento da atividade de lacase em γ-Proteobacterium JB. Os corantes Neutral Red, Indigo Carmine, Naphtol Base Bordears e Sulphast Ruby aumentaram a atividade em 3,7, 2,7, 2,6 e 2,3 vezes, respectivamente. Xenobióticos/substratos como p-toluidina, 8-hidroxiquinolina e antracina aumentaram a atividade em 3,4, 2,8 e 2,3 vezes, respectivamente. Atrazina e pesticidas triciclozol aumentaram a atividade em 1,95 e 1,5 vezes, respectivamente.
- Published
- 2009
46. Horticultural land use effect on fish assemblages in Neotropical lowland streams, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Author
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Paredes del Puerto, Juan Martín, Mugni, Hernán, Cappelletti, Natalia, Arias, Marina, Fanelli, Silvia, Bonetto, Carlos, and Paracampo, Ariel
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Effective antibodies immobilization and functionalized nanoparticles in a quartz-crystal microbalance-based immunosensor for the detection of parathion.
- Author
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Della Ventura, Bartolomeo, Iannaccone, Marco, Funari, Riccardo, Pica Ciamarra, Massimo, Altucci, Carlo, Capparelli, Rosanna, Roperto, Sante, and Velotta, Raffaele
- Subjects
QUARTZ crystal microbalances ,IMMUNOGLOBULINS ,PARATHION ,NANOPARTICLES ,PHOTOCHEMISTRY - Abstract
Background: Biosensor-based detection provides a rapid and low-cost alternative to conventional analytical methods for revealing the presence of the contaminants in water as well as solid matrices. Although important to be detected, small analytes (few hundreds of Daltons) are an issue in biosensing since the signal they induce in the transducer, and specifically in a Quartz-Crystal Microbalance, is undetectable. A pesticide like parathion (M = 292 Da) is a typical example of contaminant for which a signal amplification procedure is desirable. Methods/Findings: The ballasting of the analyte by gold nanoparticles has been already applied to heavy target as proteins or bacteria to improve the limit of detection. In this paper, we extend the application of such a method to small analytes by showing that once the working surface of a Quartz-Crystal Microbalance (QCM) has been properly functionalized, a limit of detection lower than 1 ppb is reached for parathion. The effective surface functionalization is achieved by immobilizing antibodies upright oriented on the QCM gold surface by a simple photochemical technique (Photonic Immobilization Technique, PIT) based on the UV irradiation of the antibodies, whereas a simple protocol provided by the manufacturer is applied to functionalize the gold nanoparticles. Thus, in a non-competitive approach, the small analyte is made detectable by weighing it down through a “sandwich protocol” with a second antibody tethered to heavy gold nanoparticles. The immunosensor has been proved to be effective against the parathion while showing no cross reaction when a mixture of compounds very similar to parathion is analyzed. Conclusion/Significance: The immunosensor described in this paper can be easily applied to any small molecule for which polyclonal antibodies are available since both the functionalization procedure of the QCM probe surface and gold nanoparticle can be applied to any IgG, thereby making our device of general application in terms of target analyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Sublethal agrochemical exposures can alter honey bees' and Neotropical stingless bees' color preferences, respiration rates, and locomotory responses.
- Author
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Almeida CHS, Haddi K, Toledo PFS, Rezende SM, Santana WC, Guedes RNC, Newland PL, and Oliveira EE
- Subjects
- Animals, Bees, Locomotion, Pollination, Respiratory Rate, Agrochemicals toxicity, Insecticides toxicity
- Abstract
Stingless bees such as Partamona helleri Friese play important roles in pollination of native plants and agricultural crops in the Neotropics. Global concerns about declining bee populations due to agrochemical pollutants have, however, been biased towards the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus. Here, we analysed the unintended effects of commercial formulations of a neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, and a fungicide mixture of thiophanate-methyl and chlorothalonil on color preference, respiration rates and group locomotory activities of both P. helleri and A. mellifera. Our results revealed that P. helleri foragers that were not exposed to pesticides changed their color preference during the course of a year. By contrast, we found that pesticide exposure altered the color preference of stingless bees in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, imidacloprid decreased the overall locomotion of both bee species, whereas the fungicide mixture increased locomotion of only stingless bees. The fungicide mixture also reduced respiration rates of forager bees of both species. Forager bees of both species altered their color preference, but not their locomotory and respiration rates, when exposed to commercial formulations of each fungicidal mixture component (i.e., chlorothalonil and thiophanate-methyl). Our findings emphasize the importance of P. helleri as a model for Neotropical wild pollinator species in pesticide risk assessments, and also the critical importance of including groups of agrochemicals that are often considered to have minimal impact on pollinators, such as fungicides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Human-relevant approaches to assess eye corrosion/irritation potential of agrochemical formulations.
- Author
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Clippinger AJ, Raabe HA, Allen DG, Choksi NY, van der Zalm AJ, Kleinstreuer NC, Barroso J, and Lowit AB
- Subjects
- Animals, Eye Injuries chemically induced, Humans, Agrochemicals toxicity, Caustics toxicity, Eye drug effects, Irritants toxicity, Toxicity Tests methods
- Abstract
There are multiple in vitro and ex vivo eye irritation and corrosion test methods that are available as internationally harmonized test guidelines for regulatory use. Despite their demonstrated usefulness to a broad range of substances through inter-laboratory validation studies, they have not been widely adopted for testing agrochemical formulations due to a lack of concordance with parallel results from the traditional regulatory test method for this endpoint, the rabbit eye test. The inherent variability of the rabbit test, differences in the anatomy of the rabbit and human eyes, and differences in modelling exposures in rabbit eyes relative to human eyes contribute to this lack of concordance. Ultimately, the regulatory purpose for these tests is protection of human health, and, thus, there is a need for a testing approach based on human biology. This paper reviews the available in vivo , in vitro and ex vivo test methods with respect to their relevance to human ocular anatomy, anticipated exposure scenarios, and the mechanisms of eye irritation/corrosion in humans. Each of the in vitro and ex vivo methods described is generally appropriate for identifying non-irritants. To discriminate among eye irritants, the human three-dimensional epithelial and full thickness corneal models provide the most detailed information about the severity of irritation. Consideration of the mechanisms of eye irritation, and the strengths and limitations of the in vivo , in vitro and ex vivo test methods, show that the in vitro/ex vivo methods are as or more reflective of human biology and less variable than the currently used rabbit approach. Suggestions are made for further optimizing the most promising methods to distinguish between severe (corrosive), moderate, mild and non-irritants and provide information about the reversibility of effects. Also considered is the utility of including additional information (e.g. physical chemical properties), consistent with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's guidance document on an integrated approach to testing and assessment of potential eye irritation. Combining structural and functional information about a test substance with test results from human-relevant methods will ensure the best protection of humans following accidental eye exposure to agrochemicals.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Economic elasticities of input substitution using data envelopment analysis.
- Author
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Miller, Noah J., Bergtold, Jason S., and Featherstone, Allen M.
- Subjects
ELASTICITY ,DATA envelopment analysis - Abstract
The use of elasticities of substitution between inputs is a standard method for addressing the effect of a change in the mix of inputs used for production from a technical or cost standpoint. Most estimation methods use parametric production or cost functions or frontiers to estimate these elasticities. A potentially useful nonparametric alternative is data envelopment analysis (DEA). The purpose of this paper is to derive elasticities of input substitution for both technical and cost frontiers using DEA, extending the use of this approach in the field of economics and associated fields. The paper provides derivations for both Hicksian (production and cost frontier) and Morishima (cost frontier) elasticities of input substitution, as well as a parsimonious method for estimating them using DEA. The derivations are presented using an agricultural example form Kansas, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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