Reduction of Pesticide Toxicity Under Field-Relevant Conditions? The Interaction of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles, Ultraviolet, and Natural Organic Matter.

In surface waters, the illumination of photoactive engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) with ultraviolet (UV) light triggers the formation of reactive intermediates, consequently altering the ecotoxicological potential of co-occurring organic micropollutants including pesticides due to catalytic degradation. Simultaneously, omnipresent natural organic matter (NOM) adsorbs onto ENM surfaces, altering the ENM surface properties. Also, NOM absorbs light, reducing the photo(cata)lytic transformation of pesticides. Interactions between these environmental factors impact 1) directly the ecotoxicity of photoactive ENMs, and 2) indirectly the degradation of pesticides. We assessed the impact of field-relevant UV radiation (up to 2.6 W UVA/m²), NOM (4 mg TOC/L), and photoactive ENM (nTiO2, 50 µg/L) on the acute toxicity of 6 pesticides in Daphnia magna. We selected azoxystrobin, dimethoate, malathion, parathion, permethrin, and pirimicarb because of their varying photo- and hydrolytic stabilities. Increasing UVA alone partially reduced pesticide toxicity, seemingly due to enhanced degradation. Even at 50 µg/L, nano-sized titanium dioxide (nTiO2) reduced but also increased pesticide toxicity (depending on the applied pesticide), which is attributable to 1) more efficient degradation and potentially 2) photocatalytically induced formation of toxic by-products. Natural organic matter 1) partially reduced pesticide toxicity, not evidently accompanied by enhanced pesticide degradation, but also 2) inhibited pesticide degradation, effectively increasing the pesticide toxicity. Predicting the ecotoxicological potential of pesticides based on their interaction with UV light or interaction with NOM was hardly possible, which was even more difficult in the presence of nTiO2. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2237-2246. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

The interaction of gamma radiation with drugs used in cholinergic medications.

Purpose: Pharmacological medications can reduce the radiation damage in the organism when applied in the stage before or after exposure to radiation. Cholinergic drugs are a category of pharmaceutical agents acting on the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, the primary neurotransmitter in the parasympathetic nervous system. In this investigation, some gamma radiation interaction parameters namely mass attenuation coefficients (µρ), effective atomic number (Zeff) and electron densities (Nel) of 12 cholinergic system drugs have been calculated in the energy range 1 KeV-100 GeV. In addition, gamma-ray energy absorption (EABF) and exposure (EBF) of buildup factors have been computed using the five-parameter geometric progression (G-P) fitting formula for investigated drugs in the energy range 0.015-15 MeV, and for penetration depths up to 40 mean free path (mfp).Materials and methods: In order to perform these calculations, data obtained from WinXCom computer program were used. The computed µρ values were then used to calculate the effective atomic numbers and electron density of the investigated drugs. To compute the buildup factors, the G-P fitting parameters were determined by the method of interpolation from the equivalent atomic number, 'Zeq'Results and Conclusions: It has been concluded that effective atomic number and electron density of malathion is bigger than the other drugs and the variations in values of Zeff and Nel for all drugs depend on chemical compositions and photon energy where the K-absorption edge of elements may affect the energy dependence of Zeff and Nel. It should also be noted that the buildup of photons is less in malathion and carbachol and is more in tabun and parathion compared with other drugs. Photon interaction parameters evaluated in the present study may be beneficial in radiation dosimetry and therapy.

Avaliação da dissipação do inseticida malation utilizado em nebulização a ultrabaixo volume no controle da dengue: avaliação ecotoxicológica e de risco ambiental / Evaluation of malathion insecticides dissipation used in ultra-low volume nebulization in dengue control ecotoxicological assessment and environmental risk

A dengue é um dos principais problemas de Saúde Pública da atualidade. É transmitida por mosquitos do gênero Aedes, sendo a espécie Aedes aegypti o vetor responsável pela transmissão no Brasil. O principal alvo de controle da doença é seu vetor, sendo o controle químico amplamente utilizado em todas as regiões atingidas. Como forma de prevenção ou em períodos de epidemia, torna-se necessária a eliminação dos mosquitos adultos, sendo indicada a nebulização a ultrabaixo volume (UBV) a frio do organofosforado malation por meio do uso de equipamentos pulverizadores acoplados a veículos. Este inseticida utilizado pode sofrer desvios durante e após a aplicação a UBV, caracterizando-se como um potencial agente de desequilíbrio ecológico, podendo atingir e gerar efeitos danosos em organismos não alvos aquáticos e terrestres. Este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver e validar um método de análise para o malation em cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência e obter recuperação do inseticida em níveis aceitáveis em água e solo, avaliar seu período de dissipação e tempo de meia vida (t1/2) nestas matrizes e classificá-lo quanto à toxicidade aguda e ao risco ambiental de acordo com diferentes autores, para o microcustáceo Daphnia magna, para a minhoca Eisenia foetida, para o peixe mato grosso (Hyphessobrycon eques) e para a macrófita Lemna minor. O método foi considerado adequado para análise do malation. A recuperação obtida para água foi de 97 por cento e para solo, 96 por cento...

Dengue is one of the major public health problems nowadays. It is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, and the Aedes aegypti specie is the vector responsible for transmission in Brazil. The main target to control the disease is its vector, and the chemical control is widely used in all affected regions. As a preventive measure or in epidemic periods, it becomes necessary to eliminate adult mosquitoes, being indicated the ultralow volume nebulization of malathion organophosphate in cold way through the use of sprinklers attached to vehicles. This used insecticide can suffer deviation during and after application ULV, characterizing itself as a potential agent of environmental imbalance, with the possibility of reach and generate harmful effects on aquatic and terrestrial non-target organisms. This work had the objective to develop and validate a method of analysis for malathion in high performance liquid chromatography and obtain recovery of insecticide in acceptable levels in water and soil, evaluate its dissipation period and half-life time in these matrices and classify it on acute toxicity and environmental risk according to different authors, to the microcrustacean Daphnia magna, to the earthworm Eisenia foetida, to the fish Hyphessobrycon eques and to the macrophyte Lemna minor. The method was considered appropriate for analysis of malathion. The obtained recovery for water was 97 per cent and for soil, 96 per cent . Toxic effects resulting from exposure to...

Degradation behavior and products of malathion and chlorpyrifos spiked in apple juice by ultrasonic treatment.

Apple juice (13 degrees Brix) spiked with malathion and chlorpyrifos (2-3 mg l(-1) of each compound) was treated under different ultrasonic irradiations. Results showed that ultrasonic treatment was effective for the degradation of malathion and chlorpyrifos in apple juice, and the output power and treatment time significantly influenced the degradation of both pesticides (p<0.05). The maximum degradations were achieved for malathion (41.7%) and chlorpyrifos (82.0%) after the ultrasonic treatment at 500 W for 120 min. The degradation kinetics of both pesticides were fitted to the first-order kinetics model well (R(2)>or=0.90). The kinetics parameters indicated that chlorpyrifos was much more labile to ultrasonic treatment than malathion. Furthermore, malaoxon and chlorpyrifos oxon were identified as the degradation products of malathion and chlorpyrifos by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The oxidation pathway through the hydroxyl radical attack on the P=S bond of pesticide molecules was proposed.