A chromosome-level genome assembly of the soybean pod borer: insights into larval transcriptional response to transgenic soybean expressing the pesticidal Cry1Ac protein.

BACKGROUND: Genetically modified (GM) crop plants with transgenic expression of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) pesticidal proteins are used to manage feeding damage by pest insects. The durability of this technology is threatened by the selection for resistance in pest populations. The molecular mechanism(s) involved in insect physiological response or evolution of resistance to Bt is not fully understood. RESULTS: To investigate the response of a susceptible target insect to Bt, the soybean pod borer, Leguminivora glycinivorella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), was exposed to soybean, Glycine max, expressing Cry1Ac pesticidal protein or the non-transgenic parental cultivar. Assessment of larval changes in gene expression was facilitated by a third-generation sequenced and scaffolded chromosome-level assembly of the L. glycinivorella genome (657.4 Mb; 27 autosomes + Z chromosome), and subsequent structural annotation of 18,197 RefSeq gene models encoding 23,735 putative mRNA transcripts. Exposure of L. glycinivorella larvae to transgenic Cry1Ac G. max resulted in prediction of significant differential gene expression for 204 gene models (64 up- and 140 down-regulated) and differential splicing among isoforms for 10 genes compared to unexposed cohorts. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) included putative peritrophic membrane constituents, orthologs of Bt receptor-encoding genes previously linked or associated with Bt resistance, and those involved in stress responses. Putative functional Gene Ontology (GO) annotations assigned to DEGs were significantly enriched for 36 categories at GO level 2, respectively. Most significantly enriched cellular component (CC), biological process (BP), and molecular function (MF) categories corresponded to vacuolar and microbody, transport and metabolic processes, and binding and reductase activities. The DEGs in enriched GO categories were biased for those that were down-regulated (≥ 0.783), with only MF categories GTPase and iron binding activities were bias for up-regulation genes. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights into pathways and processes involved larval response to Bt intoxication, which may inform future unbiased investigations into mechanisms of resistance that show no evidence of alteration in midgut receptors.

[Determination of 222 pesticide residues in olive oil by fully automatic QuEChERS pre-treatment instrument coupled with gas chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry].

Pesticide residues may be present in olive oil because pesticides are applied to olive trees during their cultivation and growth for pest prevention and some of these pesticides are not easily degraded. Studies on pesticide residues in olive oil have mainly focused on the detection of single types of pesticide residues, and reports on the simultaneous detection of multiple pesticide residues are limited. At present, hundreds of pesticides with different polarities and chemical properties are used in practice. In this study, an analytical method based on fully automatic QuEChERS pretreatment instrument coupled with gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF-MS) was established for the rapid determination of 222 pesticide residues in olive oil. The effects of acetonitrile acidification concentration, n-hexane volume, oscillation time, centrifugation temperature, and purification agent on the determination of the 222 pesticide residues were investigated. First, ions with good responses and no obvious interference were selected for quantification and characterization. The purification process was then developed by setting the parameters of the fully automatic QuEChERS pretreatment instrument to optimal values. The sample was extracted with acetonitrile containing 2% formic acid, and the supernatant was purified by centrifugation in a centrifuge tube containing 400 mg N-propylethylenediamine (PSA), 400 mg octadecylsilane-bonded silica gel (C18), and 1200 mg anhydrous magnesium sulfate. The purified solution was blown dry with nitrogen and then fixed with ethyl acetate for instrumental analysis. Finally, a matrix standard solution was used for quantification. The method was validated in terms of matrix effects, linear ranges, limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs), accuracies, and precisions. The results showed that 86.04% of the 222 pesticides had linear ranges of 0.02-2.00 µg/mL, 10.81% had linear ranges of 0.10-2.00 µg/mL, and 3.15% had linear ranges of 0.20-2.00 µg/mL. The pesticide residues showed good relationships within their respective linear ranges, and the correlation coefficients (R2) were greater than 0.99. The LODs of all tested pesticides ranged from 0.002 to 0.050 mg/kg, and their LOQs ranged from 0.007 to 0.167 mg/kg. Among the 222 pesticides determined, 170 pesticides had LOQs of 0.007 mg/kg while 21 pesticides had LOQs of 0.017 mg/kg. At the three spiked levels of 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 mg/kg, 79.58% of all tested pesticides had average recoveries of 70%-120% while 65.92% had average recoveries of 80%-110%. In addition, 93.54% of all tested pesticides had relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=6)<10% while 98.35% had RSDs (n=6)<20%. The method was applied to 14 commercially available olive oil samples, and seven pesticides were detected in the range of 0.0044-0.0490 mg/kg. The residues of fenbuconazole, chlorpyrifos, and methoprene did not exceed the maximum limits stated in GB 2763-2021. The maximum residual limits of molinate, monolinuron, benalaxyl, and thiobencarb have not been established. The method utilizes the high mass resolution capability of TOF-MS, which can improve the detection throughput while ensuring good sensitivity. In addition, high-resolution and accurate mass measurements render the screening results more reliable, which is necessary for the high-throughput detection of pesticide residues. The use of a fully automatic QuEChERS instrument in the pretreatment step reduces personnel errors and labor costs, especially when a large number of samples must be processed, thereby offering significant advantages over other approaches. Moreover, the method is simple, rapid, sensitive, highly automatable, accurate, and precise. Thus, it meets requirements for the high-throughput detection of pesticide residues in olive oil and provides a reference for the development of detection methods for pesticide residues in other types of oils as well as the automatic pretreatment of complex matrices.

Portal vein gas is a sign of intestinal necrosis after pesticide poisoning: a case report.

Portal vein gas accumulation and intestinal pneumatosis are uncommon signs indicating a high mortality risk in cases of intestinal ischemic necrosis. However, the widespread use of computed tomography has led to an increase in detection of benign lesions. We report a case of portal vein gas accumulation resulting from organophosphorus pesticide poisoning. A male patient was brought to the hospital in a comatose state with bilateral pupils that measured 1.0 mm, and he showed shortness of breath and wet rattles in the lungs. A cholinesterase concentration of 214 U/L was detected on an auxiliary examination. The patient was diagnosed with organophosphorus pesticide poisoning and underwent mechanical ventilation, hemoperfusion, and continuous renal replacement therapy according to the poisoning guidelines. On the fifth day, considerable abdominal distension was observed. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed dilation of the small bowel and ascending colon with fluid and gas accumulation, as well as gas within the intestinal wall and hepatic veins. Although portal vein gas and intestinal pneumatosis are a sign of mortality requiring immediate surgical intervention, an increasing number of benign cases suggests potential benefits of conservative treatment approaches.

Recent advances in the use of Trichoderma-containing multicomponent microbial inoculants for pathogen control and plant growth promotion.

Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used in agricultural production worldwide to prevent damage from plant pathogenic microorganisms, insects, and nematodes, to minimize crop losses and to preserve crop quality. However, the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers can severely pollute soil, water, and air, posing risks to the environment and human health. Consequently, developing new, alternative, environment-friendly microbial soil treatment interventions for plant protection and crop yield increase has become indispensable. Members of the filamentous fungal genus Trichoderma (Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Hypocreales) have long been known as efficient antagonists of plant pathogenic microorganisms based on various beneficial traits and abilities of these fungi. This minireview aims to discuss the advances in the field of Trichoderma-containing multicomponent microbiological inoculants based on recent experimental updates. Trichoderma strains can be combined with each other, with other fungi and/or with beneficial bacteria. The development and field performance of such inoculants will be addressed, focusing on the complementarity, synergy, and compatibility of their microbial components.

Socio-demographic, agricultural, and personal protective factors in relation to health literacy among farmers from all regions of Thailand.

Introduction: Farmers are vulnerable to adverse health effects from pesticide exposure due to their health literacy (HL). Therefore, this study aims to investigate HL among farmers in four main regions of Thailand, investigating socio-demographics, agricultural, and personal protective factors to their HL. Methods: This cross-sectional design study was conducted on 4,035 farmers from January to July 2023. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-47 items were used to measure HL. Results: Thai farmers had a mean HL score of 34.7 ± 8.7, and the farmers in the North region of Thailand had the highest frequency of limited HL (75.8%). Socio-demographic factors that were associated with HL included gender, region of living, marital status, education level, co-morbidity, and number of family members. Agricultural factors associated with HL included planting status, working hours on farm, spraying pesticides, harvesting crops, pesticide use of >1 type, access information from government officers, access information from posters/brochures, information from online multimedia, and access information from neighbors. Personal protective factors that were associated with HL included wearing a hat, goggles, a rubber apron, and a long-sleeved shirt. Discussion: Our study recommends that strategies and interventions to enhance the HL of farmers should be focused on the target populations, which include men, widows, or divorced, those with low levels of education, those who have co-morbidities, and those who applied pesticides of more than 1 type and improper personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The primary emphasis needs to be on the North region of Thailand, making that the target area to improve health equity in Thailand. These efforts would enhance the HL of farmers and sustainably improve pesticide safety behavior. Additionally, there is an urgent need for supportive measures aimed at altering on-farm practices and promoting education on alternative pest management strategies, particularly non-chemical crop protection, to ensure sustainable agriculture.

Occupational risks associated with chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt) in Brazil: it is time to dig deeper into a neglected problem.

In the past decades, an epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been associated with environmental and occupational factors (heat stress from high workloads in hot temperatures and exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides and metals), which has been termed CKD of non-traditional origin (CKDnt). This descriptive review aims to present recent evidence about heat stress, pesticides, and metals as possible causes of CKDnt and provide an overview of the related Brazilian regulation, enforcement, and health surveillance strategies. Brazilian workers are commonly exposed to extreme heat conditions and other CKDnt risk factors, including increasing exposure to pesticides and metals. Furthermore, there is a lack of adequate regulation (and enforcement), public policies, and strategies to protect the kidney health of workers, considering the main risk factors. CKDnt is likely to be a significant cause of CKD in Brazil, since CKD's etiology is unknown in many patients and several conditions for its development are present in the country. Further epidemiological studies may be conducted to explore causal associations and estimate the impact of heat, pesticides, and metals on CKDnt in Brazil. Moreover, public policies should prioritize reducing workers´ exposure and promoting their health and safety.

Carcinogenic, non-carcinogenic risk, and attributable cases to organochlorine pesticide exposure in women from Northern Mexico.

This study aimed to estimate the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk as well as the attributable cases due to exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs): hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorophenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), heptachlor, and chlordane. From serum concentrations of pesticides of interest in a sample of 908 women from Northern Mexico, the risk for both cancer and non-cancer health effects was evaluated. The population attributable fraction (PAF) was also calculated based on summary association estimates between exposure to OCPs and different health events. Findings revealed that due to their OCP exposure slightly less than half of the women in the sample were at increased risk of developing non-cancerous diseases. Moreover, approximately 25% and 75% of participants were at risk of develop some type of cancer associated with their HCB and DDE concentrations, respectively. In addition, it was estimated that 40.5% of type 2 diabetes, 18.7% of endometriosis, and 23.1% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases could have been prevented if women had not been exposed to these OCPs. Results suggest that the use of OCPs may have contributed to the disease burden in the study area and, based on the time required for these substances to be eliminated from the body, there are probably some women who are still at elevated risk of developing diseases associated to OCPs.

Heavy metal association with chronic kidney disease of unknown cause in central India-results from a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown cause (CKDu) a disease of exclusion, and remains unexplained in various parts of the world, including India. Previous studies have reported mixed findings about the role of heavy metals or agrochemicals in CKDu. These studies compared CKDu with healthy controls but lacked subjects with CKD as controls. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis whether heavy metals, i.e. Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Chromium (Cr) are associated with CKDu, in central India. METHODS: The study was conducted in a case-control manner at a tertiary care hospital. CKDu cases (n = 60) were compared with CKD (n = 62) and healthy subjects (n = 54). Blood and urine levels of As, Cd, Pb, and Cr were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma- Optical Emission Spectrometry. Pesticide use, painkillers, smoking, and alcohol addiction were also evaluated. The median blood and urine metal levels were compared among the groups by the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. RESULTS: CKDu had significantly higher pesticide and surface water usage as a source of drinking water. Blood As levels (median, IQR) were significantly higher in CKDu 91.97 (1.3-132.7) µg/L compared to CKD 4.5 (0.0-58.8) µg/L and healthy subjects 39.01 (4.8-67.4) µg/L (p < 0.001) On multinominal regression age and sex adjusted blood As was independently associated with CKDu[ OR 1.013 (95%CI 1.003-1.024) P < .05].Blood and urinary Cd, Pb, and Cr were higher in CKD compared to CKDu (p > .05). Urinary Cd, Pb and Cr were undetectable in healthy subjects and were significantly higher in CKDu and CKD compared to healthy subjects (P = < 0.001). There was a significant correlation of Cd, Pb and Cr in blood and urine with each other in CKDu and CKD subjects as compared to healthy subjects. Surface water use also associated with CKDu [OR 3.178 (95%CI 1.029-9.818) p < .05). CONCLUSION: The study showed an independent association of age and sex adjusted blood As with CKDu in this Indian cohort. Subjects with renal dysfunction (CKDu and CKD) were found to have significantly higher metal burden of Pb, Cd, As, and Cr as compared to healthy controls. CKDu subjects had significantly higher pesticide and surface water usage, which may be the source of differential As exposure in these subjects.

Effects of dietary garlic (Allium sativum) oil on growth performance, haemato-biochemical and histopathology of cypermethrin-intoxicated Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

BACKGROUND: When pesticides are introduced into wetlands by agriculture, fish quickly absorb them through their gills. Pesticides reduce hatchability, impede growth, and antioxidant response, killing fish. Therefore, it's crucial to find effective pesticide mitigation methods for fish. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the effects of garlic (Allium sativum) oil on the growth, haematology, biochemistry and histopathology parameters of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to cypermethrin toxicity were investigated. METHODS: In the research, cypermethrin was added to the water of the experimental groups at a rate of 1:20 of the LC50 value, and 1.00% garlic oil was added to the fish feed. Fish with an initial weight of 30.26 ± 0.26 g were fed for 45 days. RESULTS: At the end of feeding, the final weights were determined as 69.39 ± 0.41 (G1), 61.81 ± 0.65 (G2), 82.25 ± 0.36 (G3), and 75.04 ± 0.68 (G4) grams, respectively. Histopathological examinations revealed serious lesions in the gill, liver, brain, and muscle tissues in the cypermethrin group, whereas these lesions were minimal or absent in the garlic oil group. CONCLUSIONS: Garlic oil supplementation had positive effects on growth, haematology, blood biochemistry, hepatosomatic index and histopathological parameters. These findings suggest that garlic oil is a potential protective agent against cypermethrin toxicity.

Assessing the impact of Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) pesticide stress on oilseed rape (Brassia campestris L.): Residue dynamics, enzyme activities, and metabolite profiling.

This study investigates the effects of chlorantraniliprole (CAP) pesticide stress on oilseed rape through comprehensive pot experiments. Assessing CAP residue variations in soil and oilseed rape (Brassia campestris L.), enzyme activities (POD, CPR, GST), and differential metabolites, we unveil significant findings. The average CAP residue levels were 18.38-13.70 mg/kg in unplanted soil, 9.94-6.30 mg/kg in planted soil, and 0-4.18 mg/kg in oilseed rape samples, respectively. Soil microbial influences and systemic pesticide translocation into oilseed rape contribute to CAP residue variations. Under the influence of CAP stress, oilseed rape displays escalated enzyme activities (POD, CPR, GST) and manifests 57 differential metabolites. Among these, 32 demonstrate considerable downregulation, mainly impacting amino acids and phenolic compounds, while 25 exhibit noteworthy overexpression, primarily affecting flavonoid compounds. This impact extends to 24 metabolic pathways, notably influencing amide biosynthesis, as well as arginine and proline metabolism. These findings underscore the discernible effects of CAP pesticide stress on oilseed rape.

Electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of the slowpoke channel in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella.

The slowpoke channel responds to the intracellular calcium concentration and the depolarization of the cell membrane. It plays an important role in maintaining the resting potential and regulating the homeostasis of neurons, but it can also regulate circadian rhythm, sperm capacitation, ethanol tolerance, and other physiological processes in insects. This renders it a potentially useful target for the development of pest control strategies. There are relatively few studies on the slowpoke channels in lepidopteran pests, and their pharmacological properties are still unclear. So, in this study, the slowpoke gene of Plutella xylostella (Pxslo) was heterologous expressed in HEK293T cells, and the I-V curve of the slowpoke channel was measured by whole cell patch clamp recordings. Results showed that the slowpoke channel could be activated at -20 mV with 150 µM Ca2+. The subsequent comparison of the electrophysiological characteristics of the alternative splicing site E and G deletions showed that the deletion of the E site enhances the response of the slowpoke channel to depolarization, while the deletion of the G site weakens the response of the slowpoke channel to depolarization. Meanwhile, the nonspecific inhibitors TEA and 4-AP of the Kv channels, and four pesticides were tested and all showed an inhibition effect on the PxSlo channel at 10 or 100 µM, suggesting that these pesticides also target the slowpoke channel. This study enriches our understanding of the slowpoke channel in Lepidopteran insects and can aid in the development of relevant pest management strategies.

Harnessing the potential of microalgae-based systems for mitigating pesticide pollution and its impact on their metabolism.

Due to increased pesticide usage in agriculture, a significant concentration of pesticides is reported in the environment that can directly impact humans, aquatic flora, and fauna. Utilizing microalgae-based systems for pesticide removal is becoming more popular because of their environmentally friendly nature, ability to degrade pesticide molecules into simpler, nontoxic molecules, and cost-effectiveness of the technology. Thus, this review focused on the efficiency, mechanisms, and factors governing pesticide removal using microalgae-based systems and their effect on microalgal metabolism. A wide range of pesticides, like atrazine, cypermethrin, malathion, trichlorfon, thiacloprid, etc., can be effectively removed by different microalgal strains. Some species of Chlorella, Chlamydomonas, Scenedesmus, Nostoc, etc., are documented for >90% removal of different pesticides, mainly through the biodegradation mechanism. The antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, as well as the complex structure of microalgae cell walls, are mainly involved in eliminating pesticides and are also crucial for the defense mechanism of microalgae against reactive oxygen species. However, higher pesticide concentrations may alter the biochemical composition and gene expression associated with microalgal growth and metabolism, which may vary depending on the type of strain, the pesticide type, and the concentration. The final section of this review discussed the challenges and prospects of how microalgae can become a successful tool to remediate pesticides.

A web-based pesticide risk assessment tool for drinking water protection zones in Sweden.

To protect human health, wildlife and the aquatic environment, "safe uses" of pesticides are determined at the EU level while product authorization and terms of use are established at the national level. In Sweden, extra precaution is taken to protect drinking water, and permits are therefore required for pesticide use within abstraction zones. This paper presents MACRO-DB, a tool for assessing pesticide contamination risks of groundwater and surface water, used by authorities to support their decision-making for issuing such permits. MACRO-DB is a meta-model based on 583,200 simulations of the physically-based MACRO model used for assessing pesticide leaching risks at EU and national level. MACRO-DB is simple to use and runs on widely available input data. In a qualitative comparative assessment for two counties in Sweden, MACRO-DB outputs were in general agreement with groundwater monitoring data and matched or were more protective than the national risk assessment procedure for groundwater.

Porous covalent organic framework nanofibrous membrane for excellent enrichment and ultra-high sensitivity detection of trace organochlorine pesticides in water.

Developing adsorbents with high performance and long service life for effective extracting the trace organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from real water is attracting numerous attentions. Herein, a self-standing covalent organic framework (COF-TpPa) membrane with fiber morphology was successfully synthesized by using electrospun nanofiber membranes as template and employed as solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating for ultra-high sensitivity extraction and analysis of trace OCPs in water. The as-synthesized COF-TpPa membrane exhibited a high specific surface area (800.83 m2 g-1), stable nanofibrous structure, and excellent chemical and thermal stability. Based on the COF-TpPa membrane, a new SPME analytical method in conjunction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was established. This proposed method possessed favorable linearity in concentration of 0.05-2000 ng L-1, high sensitivity with enrichment factors ranging from 2175 to 5846, low limits of detection (0.001-0.150 ng L-1), satisfactory precision (RSD < 10 %), and excellent repeatability (>150 cycles), which was better than most of the reported works. Additionally, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and XPS results demonstrated that the outstanding enrichment performance of the COF-TpPa membrane was owing to synergistic effect of π-π stacking effects, high specific surface area and hydrogen bonding. This work will expect to extend the applications of COF membrane to captures trace organic pollutants in complex environmental water, as well as offer a multiscale interpretation for the design of effective adsorbents.

Photochemical Degradation of the New Nicotine Pesticide Acetamiprid in Water.

Acetamiprid is a novel nicotinic pesticide widely used in modern agriculture because of its low toxicity and specific biological target properties. The objective of this study was to understand the photolysis pattern of acetamiprid in the water column and elucidate its degradation products and mechanism. It was observed that acetamiprid exhibited different photolysis rates under different light source conditions in pure water, with ultraviolet > fluorescence > sunlight; furthermore, its photolysis half-life ranged from 17.3 to 28.6 h. In addition, alkaline conditions (pH 9.0) accelerated its photolysis rate, which increased with pH. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, five direct photolysis products generated during the exposure of acetamiprid to pure water were successfully separated and identified. The molecular structure of acetamiprid was further analyzed using density functional theory, and the active photodegradation sites of acetamiprid were predicted. The mechanism of the photolytic transformation of acetamiprid in water was mainly related to hydroxyl substitution and oxidation. Based on these findings, a comprehensive transformation pathway for acetamiprid was proposed.

Exposure Assessment of Pesticides in Surface Waters of Ontario, Canada Reveals Low Probability of Exceeding Acute Regulatory Thresholds.

The objectives of this study were to: (1) characterize the exposure of aquatic ecosystems in Southern Ontario, Canada to pesticides between 2002 and 2016 by constructing environmental exposure distributions (EEDs), including censored data; and (2) predict the probability of exceeding acute regulatory guidelines. Surface water samples were collected over a 15-year period by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The dataset contained 167 compounds, sampled across 114 sites, with a total of 2,213 samples. There were 67,920 total observations of which 55,058 were non-detects (81%), and 12,862 detects (19%). The most commonly detected compound was atrazine, with a maximum concentration of 18,600 ngL- 1 and ~ 4% chance of exceeding an acute guideline (1,000 ngL- 1) in rivers and streams. Using Southern Ontario as a case study, this study provides insight into the risk that pesticides pose to aquatic ecosystems and the utility of EEDs that include censored data for the purpose of risk assessment.

Occupational exposures among women beedi workers in Mysore District, India: A mixed-methods study protocol.

Beedi is the most common smoking form of tobacco used in India. The rolling of beedis is performed primarily by women in settings that lack occupational safeguards. The aims of this protocol are to establish methods for the study of occupational exposures among women beedi workers and their experiences and challenges working with unburnt tobacco. This protocol employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. Qualitatively, we plan to explore the experiences and challenges faced by women beedi workers using photovoice, a community based participatory method. Occupational exposures to pesticides will be assessed through the use of silicone wristbands worn for seven days by workers, and exposure to toxic metals and metalloids will be assessed in dust samples collected in the homes of workers. The outcomes will be analyzed to form policy recommendations to improve the occupational health of women beedi workers.

Pesticide-induced alterations in zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavior, histology, DNA damage and mRNA expression: An integrated approach.

To assess the impact of glyphosate and 2,4-D herbicides, as well as the insecticide imidacloprid, both individually and in combination, the gills of adult zebrafish were used due to their intimate interaction with chemicals diluted in water. Bioassays were performed exposing the animals to the different pesticides and their mixture for 96 h. The behavior of the fish was analyzed, a histological examination of the gills was carried out, and the genotoxic effects were also analyzed by means of the comet assay (CA) and the change in the expression profiles of genes involved in the pathways of the oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis. The length traveled and the average speed of the control fish, compared to those exposed to the pesticides and mainly those exposed to the mixture, were significantly greater. All the groups exposed individually exhibited a decrease in thigmotaxis time, indicating a reduction in the behavior of protecting themselves from predators. Histological analysis revealed significant differences in the structures of the gill tissues. The quantification of the histological lesions showed mild lesions in the fish exposed to imidacloprid, moderate to severe lesions for glyphosate, and severe lesions in the case of 2,4-D and the mixture of pesticides. The CA revealed the sensitivity of gill cells to DNA damage following exposure to glyphosate, 2,4-D, imidacloprid and the mixture. Finally, both genes involved in the oxidative stress pathway and those related to the cell apoptosis pathway were overexpressed, while the ogg1 gene, involved in DNA repair, was downregulated.

Evaluation of models to estimate the bioaccumulation of organic chemicals in earthworms.

Modelling approaches to estimate the bioaccumulation of organic chemicals by earthworms are important for improving the realism in risk assessment of chemicals. However, the applicability of existing models is uncertain, partly due to the lack of independent datasets to test them. This study therefore conducted a comprehensive literature review on existing empirical and kinetic models that estimate the bioaccumulation of organic chemicals in earthworms and gathered two independent datasets from published literature to evaluate the predictive performance of these models. The Belfroid et al. (1995a) model is the best-performing empirical model, with 91.2% of earthworm body residue simulations within an order of magnitude of observation. However, this model is limited to the more hydrophobic pesticides and to the earthworm species Eisenia fetida or Eisenia andrei. The kinetic model proposed by Jager et al. (2003b) which out-performs that of Armitage and Gobas (2007), predicted uptake of PCB 153 in the earthworm E. andrei to within a factor of 10. However, the applicability of Jager et al.'s model to other organic compounds and other earthworm species is unknown due to the limited evaluation dataset. The model needs to be parameterised for different chemical, soil, and species types prior to use, which restricts its applicability to risk assessment on a broad scale. Both the empirical and kinetic models leave room for improvement in their ability to reliably predict bioaccumulation in earthworms. Whether they are fit for purpose in environmental risk assessment needs careful consideration on a case by case basis.

Deciphering the impact of greenhouse pesticides on hepatic metabolism profile: Toxicity experiments on HepG2 cells using chlorpyrifos and emamectin benzoate.

Epidemiological evidence on the health effects of pesticide exposure among greenhouse workers is limited, and the mechanisms are lacking. Building upon our team's previous population study, we selected two pesticides, CPF and EB, with high detection rates, based on the theoretical foundation that the liver serves as a detoxifying organ, we constructed a toxicity model using HepG2 cells to investigate the impact of individual or combined pesticide exposure on the hepatic metabolism profile, attempting to identify targeted biomarkers. Our results showed that CPF and EB could significantly affect the survival rate of HepG2 cells and disrupt their metabolic profile. There were 117 metabolites interfered by CPF exposure, which mainly affected ABC transporter, biosynthesis of amino acids, center carbon metabolism in cancer, fatty acid biosynthesis and other pathways, 95 metabolites interfered by EB exposure, which mainly affected center carbon metabolism in cancer, HIF-1 signaling pathway, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, fatty acid biosynthesis and other pathways. The cross analysis and further biological experiments confirmed that CPF and EB pesticide exposure may affect the HIF-1 signaling pathway and valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis in HepG2 cells, providing reliable experimental evidence for the prevention and treatment of liver damage in greenhouse workers.