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•The effects of atrazine are not restricted to the target organism.•At environmentally relevant concentrations, atrazine can cause sublethal effects in aquatic organisms.•Atrazine ...affects the development, reproduction, and behavior of many aquatic species.•Nanoencapsulation of atrazine could potentially be used to reduce its adverse effects.
Atrazine is a pre- and post-emergence herbicide used to control weeds in many crops. It was introduced in the late 1950s, but its use has been controversial because of its high potential for environmental contamination. In agriculture, the implementation of sustainable practices can help in reducing the adverse effects atrazine. This review addresses aspects related to the impacts of atrazine in the environment, with focus on its effects on aquatic species, as well as the potential use of nanoencapsulation to decrease the impacts of atrazine. The application of atrazine leads to its dispersal beyond the immediate area, with possible contamination of soils, sediments, plantations, pastures, public supply reservoirs, groundwater, streams, lakes, rivers, seas, and even glaciers. In aquatic ecosystems, atrazine can alter the biota, consequently interfering in the food chains of many species, including benthic organisms. Nanoformulations loaded with atrazine have been developed as a way to reduce the adverse impacts of this herbicide in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Ecotoxicological bioassays have shown that this nanoformulations can improve the targeted delivery of the active ingredient, resulting in decreased dosages to obtain the same effects as conventional formulations. However, more detailed analyses of the ecotoxicological potential of atrazine-based nanoherbicides need to be performed with representative species of different ecosystems.
Polysaccharides as safer release systems for agrochemicals Campos, Estefânia Vangelie Ramos; de Oliveira, Jhones Luiz; Fraceto, Leonardo Fernandes ...
Agronomy for sustainable development,
01/2015, Letnik:
35, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Agrochemicals are used to improve the production of crops. Conventional formulations of agrochemicals can contaminate the environment, in particular in the case of intensive cropping. Hence, there is ...a need for controlled-release formulations of agrochemicals such as polysaccharides to reduce pollution and health hazards. Natural polysaccharides are hydrophilic, biodegradable polymers. This article reviews the use of polysaccharides in the form of micro- and nanoparticles, beads and hydrogels. The main points are: (1) slow release formulations minimize environmental impact by reducing agrochemical leaching, volatilization and degradation. For example, 50 % of the encapsulated insecticide chlorpyrifos is released in 5 days, whereas free chlorpyrifos is released in 1 day. (2) Slow release formulations increase the water-holding capacity of soil. (3) Slow release formulations better control weeds in the long run. (4) Polymer-clay formulations store ionic plant nutrients. (5) Polymer hydrogel formulations reduce compaction, erosion, and water run-off. They increase soil permeability and aeration, infiltration rates, and microbial activity, and, in turn, plant performance. In conclusion, polysaccharide formulations can be used for safer use of agrochemicals.
Incidents of viral outbreaks have increased at an alarming rate over the past decades. The most recent human coronavirus known as COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has already spread around the world and shown R
...values from 2.2 to 2.68. However, the ratio between mortality and number of infections seems to be lower in this case in comparison to other human coronaviruses (such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)). These outbreaks have tested the limits of healthcare systems and have posed serious questions about management using conventional therapies and diagnostic tools. In this regard, the use of nanotechnology offers new opportunities for the development of novel strategies in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and other viral infections. In this review, we discuss the use of nanotechnology for COVID-19 virus management by the development of nano-based materials, such as disinfectants, personal protective equipment, diagnostic systems and nanocarrier systems, for treatments and vaccine development, as well as the challenges and drawbacks that need addressing.
Carbendazim (MBC) (methyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate) and tebuconazole (TBZ) ((RS)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)pentan-3-ol) are widely used in agriculture for the ...prevention and control of fungal diseases. Solid lipid nanoparticles and polymeric nanocapsules are carrier systems that offer advantages including changes in the release profiles of bioactive compounds and their transfer to the site of action, reduced losses due to leaching or degradation, and decreased toxicity in the environment and humans. The objective of this study was to prepare these two types of nanoparticle as carrier systems for a combination of TBZ and MBC, and then investigate the release profiles of the fungicides as well as the stabilities and cytotoxicities of the formulations. Both nanoparticle systems presented high association efficiency (>99%), indicating good interaction between the fungicides and the nanoparticles. The release profiles of MBC and TBZ were modified when the compounds were loaded in the nanoparticles, and cytotoxicity assays showed that encapsulation of the fungicides decreased their toxicity. These fungicide systems offer new options for the treatment and prevention of fungal diseases in plants.
Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) containing the herbicides atrazine and simazine were prepared and characterized, and in vitro evaluation was made of the release kinetics, herbicidal activity, and ...cytotoxicity. The stability of the nanoparticles was investigated over a period of 120 days, via analyses of particle size, ζ potential, polydispersion, pH, and encapsulation efficiency. SLN showed good physicochemical stability and high encapsulation efficiencies. Release kinetics tests showed that use of SLN modified the release profiles of the herbicides in water. Herbicidal activity assays performed with pre- and postemergence treatment of the target species Raphanus raphanistrum showed the effectiveness of the formulations of nanoparticles containing herbicides. Assays with nontarget organisms (Zea mays) showed that the formulations did not affect plant growth. The results of cytotoxicity assays indicated that the presence of SLN acted to reduce the toxicity of the herbicides. The new nanoparticle formulations enable the use of smaller quantities of herbicide and therefore offer a more environmentally friendly method of controlling weeds in agriculture.
The nanoencapsulation of botanical compounds (such as geraniol) is an important strategy that can be used to increase the stability and efficiency of these substances in integrated pest management. ...In this study, chitosan/gum arabic nanoparticles containing geraniol were prepared and characterized. In addition, evaluation was made of the biological activity of geraniol encapsulated in chitosan/gum arabic nanoparticles toward whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). The optimized formulation showed a high encapsulation efficiency (>90%) and remained stable for about 120 days. The formulation protected the geraniol against degradation by UV radiation, and the in vitro release was according to a diffusion mechanism that was influenced by temperature. An attraction effect was observed for Bemisia tabaci, indicating the potential of this type of system for use in pest management, especially in trap devices.
In recent years, the use of substances of natural origin, such as botanical pesticides, has emerged as a preferred alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides, the excessive use of which has ...raised a lot of concern over safety to human/animal health and the environment. Recent developments in nanotechnology have opened up a new avenue for the development of more efficient formulations that can overcome many of the obstacles generally faced in their use in the field, such as loss of activity because of degradation, instability, volatilization, and so on. This Review discusses the key developments in this area, as well as the challenges in relation to nanoscale formulation of botanical pesticides. It presents an appraisal of the recent scientific research, along with an account of the products that have already reached the market. While it acknowledges the great potential of nanotechnology-derived formulations of botanical pesticides for increasing agricultural productivity and reducing health and the environmental impacts, it also highlights the technological challenges that must be addressed to enable adoption of the technology for wider use in agri-food production.
Global agriculture is looking for new agri-tech revolutions not only due to the ever-growing need for increased food production but also to protect the environment from the harmful impacts of many of ...the current practices in the field. In this context, nanotechnology has emerged as a platform that has the potential to transform the entire food chain, making agriculture more resilient and sustainable. For example, the use of nano-scale carriers for the development of nanopesticides can improve the biological activity of synthetic or natural (botanical) pesticides while reducing their adverse effects on the environment. Lignin is one of the most abundant biopolymers on Earth, with a chemical structure that can vary depending on the lignin source. With its many functional groups, lignin can provide several useful functionalities including ultraviolet protection and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These properties have led to the use of lignin for the development of nanocarriers. Nanoformulations using lignin represent an opportunity to use this material, which is currently an agricultural byproduct of low value, to produce pesticide formulations in an environmentally sustainable way. This review aims to explore the potential applications of lignin nanoparticles in the agriculture sector, highlighting processes used for lignin extraction, methodologies for nanoparticle production, analysis of biological activity, and emerging applications relevant to sustainable agriculture.
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•Lignin has great potential as a carrier system aiming at agriculture.•Lignin can promote UV, antioxidants, and anti-microbial protection.•Lignin nanoformulations may promote eco-friendly nanopesticides.
Atrazine was banned by the European Union in 2004, but is still used in many countries. Agricultural research employing nanotechnology has been developed in order to reduce the impacts to the ...environment and nontarget organisms. Nanoatrazine was developed as a carrier system and have been considered efficient in weed control. However, its toxicity must be verified with nontarget organisms. In this context, the aim of the present study was to investigate ecotoxicological effects of solid lipid nanoparticles (empty and loaded with atrazine) and atrazine on
Chironomus sancticaroli
larvae, evaluating the endpoints: mortality, mentum deformity, development rate and biochemical biomarkers. The contaminant concentrations used were 2, 470, 950, and 1900 μg L
−1
in acute (96 h) and 2 μg L
−1
in subchronic (10 days) bioassays. An environmentally relevant concentration of atrazine (2 μg L
−1
) presented toxic and lethal effects towards the larvae. The nanoparticles loaded with atrazine showed toxic effects similar to free atrazine, causing mortality and biochemical alterations on the larvae. The nanoparticle without atrazine caused biochemical alterations and mortality, indicating a possible toxic effect of the formulation on the larvae. In the acute bioassay, most concentrations of nanoparticles loaded with atrazine were not dose dependent for the endpoint mortality. Only the atrazine concentration of 470 μg L
−1
was statistically significant to endpoint mentum deformity. The atrazine and nanoparticles (with and without atrazine) did not affect larval development. The results indicate that
Chironomus sancticaroli
was sensitive to monitor nanoatrazine, presenting potential to be used in studies of toxicity of nanopesticides.
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