Environmental problems have always received immense attention from scientists. Toxicants pollution is a critical environmental concern that has posed serious threats to human health and agricultural production. Heavy metals and pesticides are top of the list of environmental toxicants endangering nature. This review focuses on the toxic effect of heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn)) and pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) adversely influencing the agricultural ecosystem (plant and soil) and human health. Furthermore, heavy metals accumulation and pesticide residues in soils and plants have been discussed in detail. In addition, the characteristics of contaminated soil and plant physiological parameters have been reviewed. Moreover, human diseases caused by exposure to heavy metals and pesticides were also reported. The bioaccumulation, mechanism of action, and transmission pathways of both heavy metals and pesticides are emphasized. In addition, the bioavailability in soil and plant uptake of these contaminants has also been considered. Meanwhile, the synergistic and antagonistic interactions between heavy metals and pesticides and their combined toxic effects have been discussed. Previous relevant studies are included to cover all aspects of this review. The information in this review provides deep insights into the understanding of environmental toxicants and their hazardous effects.

Heavy Metals and Pesticides Toxicity in Agricultural Soil and Plants: Ecological Risks and Human Health Implications.

An extensive review on the consequences of chemical pesticides on human health and environment

Cyanazine herbicide monitoring as a hazardous substance by a DNA nanostructure biosensor.

Cyanazine herbicide monitoring as a hazardous substance by a DNA nanostructure biosensor

The ubiquitous problem of pesticide in aquatic environment are receiving worldwide concern as pesticide tends to accumulate in the body of the aquatic organism and sediment soil, posing health risks to the human. Many pesticide formulations had introduced due to the rapid growth in the global pesticide market result from the wide use of pesticides in agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. The occurrence of pesticides in the water body is derived by the runoff from the agricultural field and industrial wastewater. Soluble pesticides were carried away by water molecules especially during the precipitation event by percolating downward into the soil layers and eventually reach surface waters and groundwater. Consequently, it degrades water quality and reduces the supply of clean water for potable water. Long-time exposure to the low concentration of pesticides had resulted in non-carcinogenic health risks. The conventional method of pesticide treatment processes encompasses coagulation-flocculation, adsorption, filtration and sedimentation, which rely on the phase transfer of pollutants. Those methods are often incurred with a relatively high operational cost and may cause secondary pollution such as sludge formation. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are recognized as clean technologies for the treatment of water containing recalcitrant and bio-refractory pollutants such as pesticides. It has been adopted as recent water purification technology because of the thermodynamic viability and broad spectrum of applicability. This work provides a comprehensive review for occurrence of pesticide in the drinking water and its possible treatment.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/468/pdf

Pesticides in Drinking Water—A Review

Pesticides are extensively used in modern agriculture and are an effective and economical way to enhance the yield quality and quantity, thus ensuring food security for the ever-growing population around the globe. Approximately, 2 million tonnes of pesticides are utilized annually worldwide, where China is the major contributing country, followed by the USA and Argentina, which is increasing rapidly. However, by the year 2020, the global pesticide usage has been estimated to increase up to 3.5 million tonnes. Although pesticides are beneficial for crop production point of view, extensive use of pesticides can possess serious consequences because of their bio-magnification and persistent nature. Diverse pesticides directly or indirectly polluted air, water, soil and overall ecosystem which cause serious health hazard for living being. In the present manuscript, an attempt has been made to critically review the global usage of different pesticides and their major adverse impacts on ecosystem, which will provide guidance for a wide range of researchers in this area.

/pdf/worldwide-pesticide-usage-and-its-impacts-on-ecosystem-4wx35yntrp.pdf

Worldwide pesticide usage and its impacts on ecosystem

Triclosan elicited biochemical and transcriptomic alterations in Labeo rohita larvae.

Biochemical markers for prolongation of the acute stress of triclosan in the early life stages of four food fishes.

Teratogenicity and accumulation of triclosan in the early life stages of four food fish during the bioassay.

Accumulation, contents of protein, non-enzymatic antioxidant glutathione (GSH and GSSG), lipid peroxidation product (melondialdehyde-MDA) and organic acids (fumarate, succinate, malate and citrate), and activities of neurological (acetylcholinesterase-AChE), detoxification (glutathione S-transferase-GST) and metabolic (lactate dehydrogenase-LDH, aspartate transaminase-AST and alanine transaminase-ALT) enzymes were recorded in the hatchlings of Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Labeo rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala after 7 and 14 days exposure and 10 days post exposure (recovery period) to sublethal concentrations (0.005, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.05 mg/L) of triclosan, a highly toxic and persistent biocide used in personal care products. Accumulation was maximum between 7-14 days at 0.01 mg/L for C. carpio and L. rohita but at 0.005 mg/L for C. idella and C. mrigala. No triclosan was observed at 0.005 mg/L in C. carpio and C. mrigala after recovery. Significant decline in protein, glutathione and acetylcholinesterase but increase in glutathione S-transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, melondialdehyde and organic acids over control during exposure continued till the end of recovery period. Integrated biomarker response (IBR) analysis depicted higher star plot area for glutathione and glutathione S-transferase during initial 7 days of exposure, thereafter, during 7-14 days of exposure and the recovery period, higher star plot area was observed for acetylcholinesterase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and organic acids. Higher star plot area was observed for protein in all the species throughout the study. The study shows that L. rohita is most sensitive and glutathione, acetylcholinesterase, aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase are the biomarkers for the toxicity of sublethal concentrations of TCS.

/pdf/biomarkers-for-the-toxicity-of-sublethal-concentrations-of-85atqn70nv.pdf

Kirpal Singh

Papers

Worldwide pesticide usage and its impacts on ecosystem

Triclosan elicited biochemical and transcriptomic alterations in Labeo rohita larvae.

Biochemical markers for prolongation of the acute stress of triclosan in the early life stages of four food fishes.

Teratogenicity and accumulation of triclosan in the early life stages of four food fish during the bioassay.

Biomarkers for the toxicity of sublethal concentrations of triclosan to the early life stages of carps.