Long-established and emerging pesticide poisoning in horses

Poisoning is a frequent problem in domestic animals. Horses are the third most commonly affected species and pesticides are one of the main causes of toxicosis. Here within are reviewed the most frequent toxicoses where it emerges that the main causes are misuse and accidental exposure. Rodenticides, acetylcholinesterase insecticides followed by herbicides are the main cause of toxicosis and effects of emerging chemicals are being reported. Metaldehyde is still a problem, together with methiocarb. No information has been reported on poisoning with pesticide mixtures.     

气相色谱法测定禽蛋中有机氯农药和多氯联苯残留量

建立了同时测定禽蛋中14种有机氯农药(OCPs)和7种多氯联苯(PCBs)的气相色谱法。样品用乙腈超声提取,浓硫酸净化,气相色谱法测定,外标法定量。21种待测化合物在5～200μg/L时线性关系良好,方法定量限为0.3～0.7μg/kg,在5、20、100μg/kg三个加标水平下,鸡蛋空白样品的平均加标回收率为75.1%～103.8%,相对标准偏差为1.41%～6.64%。本法简便、快速、准确、成本低廉,适用于禽蛋中多种有机氯农药和多氯联苯的快速筛查。     

植物源农药的研究

植物源农药就其低毒、低残留、与环境和谐、对非靶标生物相对安全等优点,符合现代环保和人们健康的要求而越来越引起人们的高度重视。本文综述植物源农药的资源、植物源农药杀虫剂、杀菌剂和除草剂等的研究进展。     

Uptake and translocation of non-ionised pesticides in the emergent aquatic plant parrot feather Myriophyllum aquaticum

The uptake of four (14)C-labelled non-ionised compounds, the methyl carbamoyloxime insecticide/nematicide oxamyl and three model phenylureas, from solution by rooted stems of the aquatic plant parrot feather [Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc], together with translocation to the emergent shoots, was measured over periods of 24 and 48 h. Uptake into the submerged tissues of roots and stem base could be ascribed to two processes: movement into the aqueous phase of cells and then partitioning onto the plant solids. This latter process was related to lipophilicity (as measured by the l-octanol/water partition coefficient, K(ow)) and gave rise to high uptake rates of the most lipophilic compounds. Translocation to shoots was passive and was optimal at log K(ow) approximately 1.8, at which the efficiency of translocation of compound was about 40% of that of water. This optimum log K(ow) was identical to that observed previously in barley, although the translocation efficiency was somewhat less in parrot feather. Solvation parameters were applied to model uptake and translocation of a set of ten compounds by barley with the particular objective of understanding why translocation efficiency is lower at log K(ow) > 1.8.     

The potential environmental impact of pesticides removed from sprayers during cleaning

BACKGROUND: There is concern that pesticide residues on the external surfaces of sprayers could have an adverse impact on the environment if they are washed off, yet there is a need to remove these residues for health reasons. The aim of this study was to quantify pesticide residues contained in washings from cleaning discrete parts of a sprayer and to assess their likely environmental impact. RESULTS: The boom/rear of the sprayer and the spray tank accounted for 80% of the total pesticide load in the washings. Predicted environmental pesticide concentrations from sprayer washings were lower than predictions from the FOCUS surface water model for pesticides used under normal agricultural conditions, although for tebuconazole this difference was smaller than for the other compounds investigated. The field area over which the residues may need to be uniformly deposited to avoid overdosing during infield cleaning was typically less than 0.5 m(2), with a maximum value of 4 m(2). CONCLUSIONS: It is unlikely that infield cleaning will lead to overdosing. External residues are not insignificant, so any adverse impact on the environment must be mitigated. Appropriate measures include cleaning in the field away from surface waters and other sensitive areas, and cleaning machines over bunded areas or similar.     

Titanium dioxide photoinduced degradation of some pesticide/fungicide precursors

Five-membered nitrogen heterocycles (pyrrole, imidazole and 1,2,4-triazole) have been degraded using titanium dioxide and simulated solar radiation at pH = 8. The degradations followed a simple Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. Accordingly, the adsorption equilibrium constants K of the heterocycles on the titanium dioxide surface and the rate constants k of degradation of the heterocycle-catalyst adduct have been obtained experimentally. While the K values decrease with heterocycle pKa, the k values increase with increasing pKa. Therefore, apparently, the rate constant depends on the availability of the electron pair on nitrogen, but at the same time the electron pair repulsion induced by the negatively charged titanium dioxide surface at pH = 8 causes a reverse effect in the adsorption equilibrium constant. Only in the case of imidazole, where the adsorption equilibrium constant is low enough (K = 0.013 M(-1)), can the rate constant be approximated to a pseudo-first-order rate expression: k(obs) = Kk. In all other cases, k(obs) = Kk/(1 + K(heterocycle)).     

Direct and indirect impacts of integrated pest management on pesticide use: a case of rice agriculture in Java, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Integrated pest management (IPM) technology has been disseminated since 1989 in Indonesia to cut down pesticide use, but the adoption and diffusion of the technology are still debated. This study aims to estimate the models of demand for pesticides and to analyse the impact of IPM technology on pesticide use. Aggregate cross-section time series data from 1990-1998 are used.RESULTS: The results show that IPM technology reduces the use of pesticides by improving the process of rice production, such that pesticides are more efficiently used. In this case, the IPM technology is not a pest control technique.CONCLUSION There is an indication that IPM technology has been adopted by farmers. This is evidence that the IPM programme in Indonesia was successful in this area. Copyright (c) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry.     

我国农药科学之发展

中国是世界农药生产大国,生产能力已达100万吨左右,约1/2产品出口到世界农药市场。半个多世纪以来中国农药的发展趋势基本上与世界农药的发展同步。近年来已开始自主合成新农药,有21种已获得中国专利。农药毒理学是农药研究开发的重要基础研究领域,是新农药研究开发之本,不论在新化合物的合成筛选还是农药的剂型和制剂开发利用方面,生理毒理学和宏观毒理学的深入研究都将为新农药的研究开发提供强大的推动力。本文介绍了世界某些重要农药生产公司在新农药研发方面的成功经验,可供中国新农药和农药剂型及制剂研究开发部门共享。     

Tissue-specific antioxidative and neurotoxic responses to diazinon in Oreochromis niloticus

The purpose of this study was to evaluate oxidative stress and neurotoxic potential of organophosphorus (OP) insecticide diazinon in the sentinel freshwater fish, Oreochromis niloticus. Antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein levels were measured spectrophotometrically in gill, kidney, alimentary tract, and muscle tissues of fish treated with sub-lethal diazinon concentrations for 1, 7, 15, and 30 days. Dose-dependent inhibitions of AChE were observed in all the experimental fish. On the contrary of alimentary tract, MDA levels were elevated in kidney and muscle and gill was not affected. AChE and MDA levels intercorrelated in kidney and muscle tissues. Diazinon had increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in all the tissues, while kidney was the most affected tissue. Tissue-specific alterations were observed on catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities; however, the activities were not changed in gill and muscle tissues for GPx and in gill, muscle, and kidney tissues for CAT. Protein levels decreased in kidney, muscle, and alimentary tract, while increased in gill and alimentary tract in 15 days. With respect to these results, diazinon has oxidative and neurotoxic potentials in O. niloticus. Observed changes with diazinon treatment were generally tissue-specific and dose-dependent.     

中华蜜蜂对荔枝园常见化学农药的触角电位反应

利用触角电生理技术测定了中华蜜蜂对荔枝园常用10种化学农药的触角电位反应（EAG）。结果表明，中华蜜蜂对不同化学农药品种的EAG反应值各不相同，其中高效顺反氯氰菊酯引发的EAG反应值最大，而生绿Bt粉剂引发的EAG反应值最小，两者间的差异达到极显著水平。这些农药品种引发中华蜜蜂EAG反应值的大小顺序为：高效顺反氯氰菊酯〉乐斯本乳油〉乐果乳油〉杀虫双水剂〉农地乐〉敌杀死乳油〉阿维菌素乳油〉灭百可乳油〉敌百虫乳油〉生绿Bt粉剂。这些研究结果可为我们从保护授粉蜜蜂的角度出发，在荔枝园中有选择性地施用对蜜蜂不敏感的农药品种提供有益参考。