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Agriculture
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Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment
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Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 13330

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Xingang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: pesticide; metabolites; environmental fate; ecotoxicology; residue analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The extensive use of pesticides over the last several decades has highlighted the potential risk posed by pesticides to the soil environment. An increasing proportion of arable soils have been reported to be contaminated with pesticides, to varying degrees. Soil contamination with pesticides influences non-target species including humans by affecting soil microbial populations, bacterial diversity, nitrogen transformations, soil animals, and soil enzymes, ultimately influencing entire agricultural ecosystems. However, the research on mechanisms of pesticide effects on non-target organisms and ecosystems is still insufficient. The fate of pesticides in the environment is affected by chemical, physical, biological, and hydro-meteorological processes in soil. The major environmental processes related to pesticides are transport, degradation, and uptake by organisms. The remediation of contaminated soil is also a focus of current research. Research suggests that physical, chemical, and biological techniques as well as combined techniques for the removal of contaminants can be used to remediate polluted soil. We expect more scientific discoveries and solutions to be proposed in the future.

Prof. Dr. Xingang Liu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pesticide
  • soil
  • environmental fate
  • ecotoxicology
  • transport
  • absorption
  • degradation
  • risk assessment
  • remediation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3106 KiB  
Article
Potential Emissions of Insecticide VOCs and Their Correlations between Agricultural Emissions and Meteorological Factors
by Jingjin Yang, Genyi Wu, Caihong Jiang, Wenqi Long and Wangrong Liu
Agriculture 2023, 13(1), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010066 - 25 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1465
Abstract
In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that might lead to serious environmental problems, yet few studies relate to the insecticide application during agricultural process. As there appears to be a notable lack of research on [...] Read more.
In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that might lead to serious environmental problems, yet few studies relate to the insecticide application during agricultural process. As there appears to be a notable lack of research on the VOCs pollution of insecticides, we aimed to assess the occurrence of insecticide VOCs in the laboratory and during the agricultural process in China that have not been previously investigated. We discuss the estimation of VOCs emission potentials (EPs) and actual emissions (AEs) posed by insecticide applications. For this purpose, nine insecticide formulations were collected for testing and were analyzed via a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a pump-suction photoionization detection (PID) gas detector. The results showed that the EPs of nine insecticide samples ranged from 12.30% to 81.30%, with a median of 41.59% and a mean of 45.41%. The average actual emission ratio (AER) for the different formulations ranged from 48.76% to 72.12%. AER value was significantly positively correlated with temperature, but significantly negatively correlated with relative humidity and atmospheric pressure. The results of this study provide a technical reference for establishing the corresponding emission inventory and determining the total amount of pesticide VOCs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment)
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18 pages, 7338 KiB  
Article
Combined Reproductive Effects of Imidacloprid, Acetochlor and Tebuconazole on Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
by Jin Yang, Yiming Chang, Yanning Zhang, Lizhen Zhu, Liangang Mao, Lan Zhang, Xingang Liu and Hongyun Jiang
Agriculture 2022, 12(12), 1979; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12121979 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1865
Abstract
Pesticides usually occur as mixtures of multiple chemicals in the natural aquatic ecosystem, so research based on the toxicity data of a single compound on aquatic organisms is not enough to accurately assess the actual toxicity risk of pesticides. There is still a [...] Read more.
Pesticides usually occur as mixtures of multiple chemicals in the natural aquatic ecosystem, so research based on the toxicity data of a single compound on aquatic organisms is not enough to accurately assess the actual toxicity risk of pesticides. There is still a gap in the research on the reproductive toxicity of combined insecticides, herbicides and fungicides on zebrafish (Danio rerio). In this study, zebrafish were used to systematically investigate the separate and combined reproductive toxicity of imidacloprid (IMI), acetochlor (ACT) and tebuconazole (TBZ), which are commonly used in rice fields. Adult zebrafish were exposed to the three pesticides individually and in combination for 28 days, and the number, heartbeat, deformation rate, body length, and swim bladder development of F1 offspring embryos were observed and the reproductive hormones testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), and vitellogenin (VTG) contents and the expressions of nine reproductive genes (ar, esr2a, vtg1, gr, star, fshr, hmgcrb, 3βhsd and vasa) in the testes of the male and the ovaries of the female F0 zebrafish adults were measured to evaluate the individual and combined effects. The results showed that exposure to the mixtures of IMI, ACT and TBZ resulted in a decrease in heartbeat, body length and swim bladder development and an increase in the deformity rate of F1 offspring embryos compared to the individual exposure groups. In the combined exposure group, the content of T decreased significantly and the content of VTG increased significantly in the testes of the males; the content of T significantly increased, while the content of E2 and VTG significantly decreased in the ovaries of the females, indicating that combined exposure showed a more obvious endocrine-disrupting effect compared to the individual exposures. In addition, the expression of nine reproductive genes was significantly altered compared to the individual exposure groups. Therefore, our results indicated that the mixture of IMI, ACT and TBZ caused fewer number of F1 embryos, higher developmental defects of F1, greater disruption in the content of reproductive hormones and the expression of reproductive genes compared to the individual pesticides at the corresponding doses. Therefore, the presence of pesticides in mixtures in the real water environment is likely to increase the toxic reproductive effects on zebrafish and cause more serious impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment)
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12 pages, 1267 KiB  
Article
The Toxicity Response of Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) after Exposure to Sublethal Concentrations of Acetamiprid
by Yong You, Zhaohua Zeng, Jie Zheng, Jianwei Zhao, Fengqiu Luo, Yixin Chen, Miao Xie, Xingang Liu and Hui Wei
Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1642; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101642 - 08 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1949
Abstract
Coccinella septempunctata is a nontarget beneficial arthropod and an important aphid predator in agricultural crops. In this study, the toxic effects of the neonicotinoid acetamiprid on C. septempunctata were investigated to determine its applicability and efficacy against the aphid predator. The results of [...] Read more.
Coccinella septempunctata is a nontarget beneficial arthropod and an important aphid predator in agricultural crops. In this study, the toxic effects of the neonicotinoid acetamiprid on C. septempunctata were investigated to determine its applicability and efficacy against the aphid predator. The results of the toxicity test showed that the second instar larvae of C. septempunctata were the most sensitive to acetamiprid. The LC50 values of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instar larvae were 15.767, 9.412, 18.850, and 25.278 mg a.i. L−1, respectively. Compared with that of the control, the predation ability of different larval instars was inhibited by sublethal concentrations of acetamiprid. The results of the predatory function test showed that sublethal concentrations of acetamiprid could reduce the consumption of aphids by fourth instar C. septempunctata larvae over a short duration and significantly inhibited the predatory ability of ladybird larvae. The results of the developmental test showed that sublethal concentration of acetamiprid shortened the growth duration of C. septempunctata larvae. Acetamiprid had considerable adverse effects on the different developmental stages of C. septempunctata. Together, our results provide information for implementation in biological and chemical control strategies for the integrated management of aphids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment)
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12 pages, 1648 KiB  
Article
Efficiency of Four Extraction Methods to Assess the Bioavailability of Oxyfluorfen to Earthworms in Soil Amended with Fresh and Aged Biochar
by Chi Wu, Lan Zhang, Liangang Mao, Lizhen Zhu, Yanning Zhang, Hongyun Jiang, Yongquan Zheng and Xingang Liu
Agriculture 2022, 12(6), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060765 - 27 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1705
Abstract
Due to its high persistence in soil, oxyfluorfen has negative effects on environmental and human health. To reduce soil contamination and impacts on non-target organisms, biochar is introduced into soils to immobilize and sequestrate oxyfluorfen as a remediation practice. Three types of soils [...] Read more.
Due to its high persistence in soil, oxyfluorfen has negative effects on environmental and human health. To reduce soil contamination and impacts on non-target organisms, biochar is introduced into soils to immobilize and sequestrate oxyfluorfen as a remediation practice. Three types of soils common in China were selected and biochar (rice hull, BCR) was added to investigate the desorption and bioavailability of oxyfluorfen after aging BCR for 0, 1, 3, and 6 months. Four chemical extraction methods were used to predict oxyfluorfen bioavailability. Results indicated that after addition of 0.5–2% unaged BCR, the desorption values of oxyfluorfen increased from 64–119 to 176–920 (μg/g)/(mg/L)n in the three soils compared with unamended soil. The bioaccumulation factor (BCF) values of oxyfluorfen in earthworms decreased from 0.80–1.7 to 0.10–1.56 after BCR addition. However, the desorption values decreased from 170–868 to 144–701 (μg/g)/(mg/L)n after aging. The bioavailability of oxyfluorfen in earthworms also increased after the aging treatments, while the BCF was still lower than with unaged BCR. The reduced BCF indicated lower exposure risk of oxyfluorfen to earthworms after amendment with biochar, even after aging 6 months. The bioavailability after extraction by Tenax showed a high linear correlation with uptake in earthworms, even after the 6-month aging treatment (R2 > 0.80). Consequently, BCR could be a practical method to remediate contaminated soil and the 6h Tenax method could be a sensitive and feasible tool to assess the bioavailability of oxyfluorfen in soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment)
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12 pages, 1080 KiB  
Article
Effects of Chlorothalonil Application on the Physio-Biochemical Properties and Microbial Community of a Yellow–Brown Loam Soil
by Jinlin Jiang, Yuwen Yang, Lei Wang, Shaohua Cao, Tao Long and Renbin Liu
Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 608; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050608 - 25 Apr 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2015
Abstract
To gain better knowledge of the effects of residual chlorothalonil on soil characteristics and soil microbial communities, we evaluated the dissipation of chlorothalonil and the effects of different chlorothalonil concentrations on soil respiration, enzyme activities, and microbial community structure in yellow–brown loam soils. [...] Read more.
To gain better knowledge of the effects of residual chlorothalonil on soil characteristics and soil microbial communities, we evaluated the dissipation of chlorothalonil and the effects of different chlorothalonil concentrations on soil respiration, enzyme activities, and microbial community structure in yellow–brown loam soils. Bacterial and fungal soil communities were examined using traditional plate counting and polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR–DGGE) methods. Soil properties and the results of DGGE band analysis were both used to estimate the status of the soil microbial ecosystem. The results show that residual chlorothalonil has considerable effects on soil respiration, enzymatic activities, and microbial community structure. In particular, soil respiration and phosphatase activities were increased, while saccharase activity, microbial biomass, and microbial community diversity were decreased by increasing levels of chlorothalonil treatment. Correlation analyses revealed that the application of chlorothalonil was significantly correlated with the change of the soil respiration, urease activity, sucrase activity, soil culturable bacteria, and culturable fungi biomass. We conclude that residual chlorothalonil is directly related to soil respiration, enzyme activities, and microbial community structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment)
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23 pages, 4808 KiB  
Article
Modelling Water and Pesticide Transport in Soil with MACRO 5.2: Calibration with Lysimetric Data
by Victoria Kolupaeva, Anna Kokoreva, Alexandra Belik, Andrei Bolotov and Alexey Glinushkin
Agriculture 2022, 12(4), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040505 - 02 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2246
Abstract
Assessing the risk of using pesticides for the environment in general, and for groundwater in particular, necessitates prediction of pesticide migration. For this purpose, mathematical models of pesticide behavior are utilized, which must be parameterized and calibrated based on experimental data to make [...] Read more.
Assessing the risk of using pesticides for the environment in general, and for groundwater in particular, necessitates prediction of pesticide migration. For this purpose, mathematical models of pesticide behavior are utilized, which must be parameterized and calibrated based on experimental data to make them perform properly. The behavior of the pesticide cyantraniliprole was examined in a long-term lysimetric experiment. The MACRO 5.2 dual porosity model was calibrated based on the percolate and the levels of pesticides in the soil profile and percolate. Despite employing experimentally verified soil parameters and pedotransfer functions (PTF), the model must be calibrated for percolation. This is due to the model’s properties as well as the complexity of the soil as an object of study, and its pore space, which is subject to daily and annual fluctuations. It is the parameters that describe the structure of the pore space that need to be calibrated. Calibrating for pesticide concentrations required a minor revision of the sorption and transformation rates, as well as an increase in the dispersivity and ASCALE values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Pesticides on Soil and Environment)
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