Assessing pesticide residue occurrence and risks in the environment across Europe and Argentina.

The widespread and extensive use of pesticides in European crop production to reduce losses from weeds, diseases, and insects may have serious consequences on the ecosystem and human health. This study aimed to identify 20 active substances of high health risk, based on their detection frequency within and across the environmental matrices (soil, crop, water, and sediment) and to identify their associated hazardous effects. A sampling campaign was conducted across 10 case study sites in Europe and 1 in Argentina and included conventional and organic farming systems. In 31% of cases, the detected substances were found at a higher concentration in the soil than in the corresponding crops, 93% of the compounds were fungicides, and the remainder were insecticides. 43% of the substances, 57% of which were insecticides, were detected only in soil. There was a clear relationship between soils and crops in terms of contamination, but not between water and sediment. Portuguese soil (wine grapes) had the highest number of substances (12) with average concentrations (AC) varying between 1 and 162 µg/kg, followed by French (11 substances in wine grapes) (1≤AC≤64 µg/kg) and Spanish soils (9 substances in vegetables) (3≤AC≤59 µg/kg). The crops corresponding to these soils contained a relatively high number of detected substances and several in high average concentrations (AC). The risk quotient was consistently higher for conventional farms than for organic farms. For the soils from conventional farms, 5 active substances (chlorpyrifos, glyphosate, boscalid, difenoconazole, lambda-cyhalothrin, and one metabolite: AMPA) were considered high risk. For water samples, 2 substances (dieldrin and terbuthylazine) found were high risk, and for sediment, there were 3 substances (metalaxyl-M, spiroxamine, and lambda-cyhalothrin). There were 6 substances detected in crops that are suspected to cause human health effects. Uncontaminated soil is a prerequisite for the adoption of sustainable alternatives to pesticides. Efforts are needed to elucidate the unknown effects of mixtures, including biocides and banned compounds in addition to the substances used in agriculture.

Identifying pesticides of high concern for ecosystem, plant, animal, and human health: A comprehensive field study across Europe and Argentina.

The widespread and excessive use of pesticides in modern agricultural practices has caused pesticide contamination of the environment, animals, and humans, with confirmed serious health consequences. This study aimed to identify the 20 most critical substances based on an analysis of detection frequency (DF) and median concentrations (MC) across environmental and biological matrices. A sampling campaign was conducted across 10 case study sites in Europe and 1 in Argentina, each encompassing conventional and organic farming systems. We analysed 209 active substances in a total of 4609 samples. All substances ranked among the 20 most critical were detected in silicon wristbands worn by humans and animals and indoor dust from both farming systems. Five of them were detected in all environmental matrices. Overall, higher values of DF and MC, including in the blood plasma of animals and humans, were recorded in samples of conventional compared to organic farms. The differences between farming systems were greater in the environmental samples and less in animal and human samples. Ten substances were detected in animal blood plasma from conventional farms and eight in animal blood plasma from organic farms. Two of those, detected in both farming systems, are classified as hazardous for mammals (acute). Five substances detected in animal blood plasma from organic farms and seven detected in animal blood plasma from conventional farms are classified as hazardous for mammals (dietary). Three substances detected in human blood plasma are classified as carcinogens. Seven of the substances detected in human blood plasma are classified as endocrine disruptors. Six substances, of which five were detected in human blood plasma, are hazardous for reproduction/development. Efforts are needed to elucidate the unknown effects of mixtures, and it is crucial that such research also considers biocides and banned substances, which constitute a baseline of contamination that adds to the effect of substances used in agriculture.

Levels and health risk assessment of twenty-one current-use pesticides in urban and riverside waters of the Brazilian Amazon Basin.

In Brazil, the favorable weather conditions and abundant land contribute to the thriving agricultural production. Brazilian crops extensively employ pesticides due to their high efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and permissive regulatory framework. However, pesticide use also endangers water resources, animal organisms, and human health. Due to the lack of data on pesticide use in the Amazonas forest-based Brazil, the present study aimed to assess the levels of twenty-one current-use pesticides (CUPs) from five different classes in river waters collected from urban and riverside areas in this region. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic risks associated with water consumption were also characterized. Thirteen CUPs were detected in concentrations above the limit of detection (LOD) in at least one of the water samples, and most pesticides were detected in riverside areas. In contrast, only 18% of the analyzed samples were considered "clean," with only one compound detected. Fenitrothion showed the highest concentration, with a mean value of 4.86 ng/mL (0.30-14.3 ng/mL). Up to 33% of the samples showed levels of fipronil above the LOD, an issue of environmental and human health concern, mainly because of the adverse effects observed in honeybees. Despite this, the human health risk assessment showed a target hazard quotient below one (HQ < 1) in adults for all substances, suggesting that pesticide exposure through water consumption should not mean risk for the riverside populations. Taking into account the large extension of Brazil, as well as its different agricultural practices throughout the country, it would be of great importance to conduct extensive research in other areas. It would help to gain knowledge in this field and to promote eco-friendly alternatives to mitigate pesticide use and, consequently, to reduce their potential adverse effects on human health and the ecosystems.

Levels of organic pollutants and metals/metalloids in infant formula marketed in Brazil: Risks to early-life health.

Infant formula intake is recommended to ensure comprehensive nutritional and caloric fulfillment when exclusive breastfeeding is not possible. However, similarly to breast milk, infant formulas may also contain pollutants capable of inducing endocrine-disrupting and neurotoxic effects. Thus, considering the sensitivity of their developing physiological systems and that infants have heightened susceptibility to environmental influences, this study was aimed at assessing the contents of essential elements, and inorganic and organic pollutants in infant formulas marketed in Brazil. Additionally, health risk assessments for selected contaminants were also performed. Measured contents of essential elements (Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu, Se, and Zn) were congruent with label information. Nevertheless, some toxic elements (Pb, Cd, As, Ni, and Al) were also detected. Notably, in the upper-bound scenario, Pb and Cd surpassed established threshold values when comparing the estimated daily intake (EDI) and tolerable daily intake (TDI - 3.57 and 0.36 µg/kg bw, respectively). Bisphenol P (BPP) and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) were frequently detected (84 % detection rate both) with elevated contents (BPP median = 4.28 ng/g and BBP median = 0.24 ng/g). Furthermore, a positive correlation (0.41) was observed between BPP and BBP, implying a potential co-occurrence within packaging materials. Methyl-paraben also correlated positively with BBP (0.57), showing a detection rate of 53 %. The cumulative PBDE contents ranged from 0.33 to 1.62 ng/g, with BDE-154 and BDE-47 the dominant congeners. When comparing EDI values with TDIs, all organic pollutants remained below the thresholds across all exposure scenarios. Moreover, non-carcinogenic risks were below the threshold (HQ > 1) when dividing the EDIs by the respective reference doses for chronic exposure. While the current findings may suggest that infant formula intake poses no immediate risk in terms of the evaluated chemicals, it remains imperative to conduct further research to safeguard the health of infants considering other chemicals, as well as their potential cumulative effects.

Assessment of urinary aromatic amines in Brazilian pregnant women and association with DNA damage: Influence of genetic diversity, lifestyle, and environmental and socioeconomic factors.

Aromatic amines (AAs) are polar organic chemicals with a wide environmental distribution originating from various sources, such as tobacco smoke, diesel exhaust, and dermal absorption from textile products with azo dyes. The toxicity profile of AAs is directly related to the amino group's metabolic activation and the generation of the reactive intermediate, forming DNA adducts and potential carcinogenicity. Urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) are an important biomarker of DNA damage. Since AAs have been shown to cross the placental barrier, being a risk factor for adverse birth outcomes, prenatal exposure is a great public health concern. The present study aimed to measure the urinary levels of 58 AAs in Brazilian pregnant women (n = 300) and investigated the impact of this exposure on DNA damage by quantifying 8OHdG levels. The influence of tobacco smoke exposure and dermal absorption of AAs by clothes on urinary levels was also assessed. The results showed a 100% detection rate for eight AAs, two of them regulated by the European Union (2,6-dimethylaniline and 2,4-diaminotolune). Hundreds of AAs may be derived from aniline, which here showed a median of 1.38 ng/mL. Aniline also correlated positively with 2,6-dimethylaniline, p-aminophenol, and other AAs, suggesting exposure to multiple sources. The present findings suggest that both tobacco smoke and dermal contact with clothes containing azo dyes are potential sources that might strongly influence urinary levels of AAs in Brazilian pregnant women. A multiple regression linear model (R2 = 0.772) suggested that some regulated AAs (i.e., 2-naphthylamine and 4-aminobiphenyl), nicotine, smoke habit, age, and Brazilian region could induce DNA damage occurrence, increasing the levels of 8OHdG. Given the limited available data on human exposure to carcinogenic AAs, as well as the lack of toxicological information on those non-regulated, further studies focused on measuring their levels in human fluids and the potential exposure sources are clearly essential.

Non-regulated aromatic amines in clothing purchased in Spain and Brazil: Screening-level exposure and health impact assessment.

The staggering amount of chemicals in clothes and their harmful effects on human health and the environment have attracted the attention of regulatory agencies and the scientific community worldwide. Azo dyes are synthetic dyestuffs with widespread use in textile industries, currently classified as emerging pollutants of great health concern to consumers. These compounds may release one or more aromatic amines (AAs) after reductive cleavage of their azo bounds. Twenty-two AAs have already been regulated due to their carcinogenic effects. However, since information on their potential toxicity is not currently available, several AAs have not been still regulated by the European Union. Considering this gap, the present study aimed to assess the levels of forty non-regulated AAs in 240 clothing items from Spain and Brazil. The potential impact on the health of vulnerable population groups after dermal exposure to those garments was also evaluated. In Brazil, at least one AA was detected in the clothes, while in samples obtained in Spain, only two of them showed values below the limit of detection for AAs. In 75 clothes, at least one of the measured AAs was higher than the hazardous threshold (30 mg/kg), which can mean risks to human health since these compounds are suspected to be mutagenic. Aniline, the most common AA, showed a high detection rate (82%) in clothes, with significantly higher concentrations in items commercialized in Brazil (0.35 vs. 0.17 mg/kg; p = 0.032). Moreover, o-aminobenzenesulfonic and p-phenylenediamine, suspected mutagenic, were found at relevant concentrations in several clothes, mainly made of synthetic fibers. In this study, the hazard index associated with exposure to AAs through clothing was low (0.006-0.13) for all the population groups of both countries in the medium-bound scenario. However, its value was close to 1 for Brazilian pregnant women (0.998) when the maximum concentration value was considered under an upper-bound scenario. The risk of exposure to non-regulated AAs may be underestimated since only dermal exposure was considered for risk assessment. Moreover, the co-occurrence of other carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic substances present in skin-contact clothes should mean an additional source of potential risk.

Recent trends in pesticides in crops: A critical review of the duality of risks-benefits and the Brazilian legislation issue.

Due to the increasing population worldwide, in recent years, an exponential increase in agricultural practices has occurred in order to attend to the growing demand for food. Unfortunately, this increase is not associated with the supply of foodstuffs free of environmental pollutants. In Brazil, agriculture is one of the most important economic pillars, making the country one of the largest consumers of pesticides around the world. The intense use of pesticides, mainly glyphosate, 2,4-D, and atrazine, constitutes an essential factor in the viability of this great agricultural productivity. Sugarcane, corn, soybean, and citrus crops consume around 66% of the total pesticides worldwide, representing 76% of the planted area. Pesticide residues have been frequently detected in food and the environment, becoming a significant concern for human health. Monitoring programs for pesticide use are essential to reduce the potential negative impacts on the environment and improve the overall efficiency and sustainability of their use. However, in Brazil, the approval status of pesticide-active ingredients is very discrepant compared to other agricultural countries. Moreover, the duality of benefits and risks of pesticide application creates an economic and toxicological conflict. In this paper, we have critically reviewed the duality of risks-benefits of the use of pesticides in agriculture and the current Brazilian legislation issues. We have also compared this flawed legislation with other countries with high economic potential. Due to the negative environmental impacts on soil and water by the high levels of pesticides, remediation techniques, sustainable agriculture, and the development of new technologies can be considered some viable alternatives to reduce the levels in these compartments. Besides, this paper includes some recommendations that can be included in the coming years.

Screening of regulated aromatic amines in clothing marketed in Brazil and Spain: Assessment of human health risks.

Azo dyes used in textile products contain aromatic amines (AAs), which may be released into the environment after skin bacteria cleavage the azo bond. In Europe, 22 carcinogenic AAs are regulated. Unfortunately, no information is available in many non-European countries, including Brazil. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of 20 regulated AAs in clothes marketed in Brazil and Spain. Generally, higher levels of regulated AAs were found in samples sold in Brazil than in Spain, which is linked to the lack of regulation. Sixteen AAs showed concentrations above 5 mg/kg in samples commercialized in Brazil, while 11 exceeded that threshold in Spain. Regulated AAs with levels above 5 mg/kg were more found in synthetic clothes of pink color. Concentrations in clothing were also used to evaluate the dermal exposure to AAs in 3 vulnerable population groups. The highest exposure corresponded to 2,4-diaminoanisole for toddlers in Brazil and 4,4-oxydianiline for newborns in Spain. Non-cancer risks associated with exposure to 4,4-benzidine by Brazilian toddlers was 14.5 (above the threshold). On the other hand, 3,3-dichlorobenzidine was associated with potential cancer risks for newborns and toddlers in Brazil. Given this topic's importance, we recommend conducting continuous studies to determine the co-occurrence of carcinogenic substances.