Pesticide Analysis Techniques, Limitations, and Applications

Natural or synthetic chemical compounds in pesticides are commonly used to kill pests or weeds. In general, pesticides are potentially toxic to not only organisms but also the environment and should be used safely disposed of expediently. Pesticide residues in foods may cause various crucial diseases in the body. The damage of pesticides can be changed depending on the application dose or type of active compounds. For this reason, identification and quantification of pesticides via highly selective, sensitive, accurate, and renewable techniques are of vital importance due to the large amounts of possible interfering substances during the extraction stages. Analysis of pesticide residues by analytical methods can be fluctuate based on the pesticide types. For food and health safety, maximum residue limits (MRL) of pesticides in foods were determined by the European Community. There are many analytical methods developed for identification and quantification of pesticides. Although there are some limitations, the multi-residue methods sensible for analyzing a great number of pesticides in one single run is the fastest, the most favorite, and efficient choice. However, some of the pesticides need specific methodologies and single-residue methods apply as compulsory for them. In this chapter, recent advances in the various analysis of pesticide residues in crops and their applications and limitations are discussed.

Pesticide Contaminated Drinking Water and Health Effects on Pregnant Women and Children

In the recent years, pesticide research and regulatory efforts have focused on the prevention of acute health effects from pesticide poisonings and pesticide residues on foods, but more attention is being given to the deleterious chronic health effects. Children and pregnant women's exposure to contaminated water in particular are at high risk for subsequent adverse health outcomes. The chapter summaries the health effects of water contamination.

Status of Indian Wetlands With Special Reference to Pesticides and Their Impact

Wetlands are home to numerous species of fish, birds, and reptiles. The enormous roots of the mangrove trees act as shelter to small fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Pesticides and agro-chemical fertilizers have been playing a very pivotal role in the degradation of the land and the water bodies. The different herbicides that are present in wetlands are Dicamba, Endothall, MCPA, Triallate, Trifluralin, 2, 4-D, and insecticides Carbaryl, Carbofuran, Fenvalerate, Malathion, Parathion, and Terbufos. These pesticides have been provided with the aim of catering to the security of the crops which are highly vulnerable to the pests. However, harmful effects of pesticides on wetland species have been a concern for long time. Wetlands constitute one such habitat threatened by the pesticides. But there has been a lack of comprehensive research in this direction. The chapter will identify the gaps in the current research and will review the status of Indian wetlands with special reference to pesticides and their impact.

Residual Analysis of Pesticides in Surface Water of Nagpur, India

Seventy-five percent of India's economy depends on agriculture with statewide pesticide consumption of 0.5 kg/h. The highest pesticide consuming states are Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in between 0.8 to 2 kg/ha. Maharashtra is the topmost consumer of pesticides with over 23.5% share. Nagpur city (the present study area) of Maharashtra has high population density with intensive farming practices. Organochlorine and organophorous pesticide residues were measured in surface water collected from major lakes and rivers located in and around this city. A comparative study with previous records has also been discussed. Monitoring experiments conducted during pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons allowed the different samples to show their susceptibility for the above-mentioned pesticide residues.

Cost-Effective Methods of Monitoring Pesticide Pollution in Water

Environmental protection efforts require numerous advanced technologies to prevent and monitor the health and ecological effects associated with abiotic and biotic systems. Development of innovative tools and methodologies with the help of multidisciplinary approach to assess the transport, accumulation, and impact of pesticides will avoid the long-term effects in the environment. The lack of information about the pesticides hampers the labeling requirements that lead to misuse and discharge of pesticide-contaminated effluents into the water resources. This chapter covers the information on major sources of pesticides, chronic impacts, labeling of pesticides, multidisciplinary approach for monitoring, current cost-effective technologies, pros and cons of current technologies, and future perspectives of the pesticide monitoring technologies.

Impact of Pesticides on Invertebrates in Aquatic Ecosystem

Aquatic ecosystems do not contain more than a fragment of the global water resources, but they are exclusive and complex habitats due to the extremely close association between terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The important fish stocks and a unique set of organisms that provides priceless consumer services, such as chemical water purification and organic matter processing, are affected. The pollution of aquatic ecosystems with pesticides applied in agricultural production is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest anthropogenic stressors to stream ecosystems, and agricultural pesticides are known to cause a threat to all living organisms in stream ecosystems. The general objective of this chapter is to study the effects of agricultural pesticides on invertebrates. There are only a few evaluating effects of pesticide contamination resulting from normal agricultural practice on invertebrates, and there is a lack of studies focusing on the indirect effects of pesticides. The importance of physical habitat degradation in the assessment and mitigation of pesticide risk in agricultural streams will be discussed.

Pesticide Contamination and Human Health

Pesticides play a vital role in modern farming in order to meet the needs of growing population. However, due to their toxic effects, pesticides cause a serious threat to public health. Pesticides when used excessively and carelessly cause social conflict, as most of the workers are intoxicated by these chemicals. These chemicals not only affect farmers and applicators but also adversely affect surrounding communities, flora and fauna. During the present decade, there is an increased awareness among the people regarding pesticide poisoning. The present chapter highlighted the adverse effect of pesticides on environment and on human health. This review helps to seek the attention of researchers, government, and non-government organizations on health issues that have been associated with the exposure of harmful chemical pesticides and encourage research on finding the new concept in modern agriculture involving a reduction in the use of chemical pesticides.

Pesticide and Human Health

Pesticides are known to be one of the extremely useful and incredibly beneficial agents for preventing losses of crops as well as diseases in humans. They are used in a large number of conditions as in farms, orchards, gardens, parks, sports lawn, residences, industrial areas, shops, schools, hospitals, airports, railway lines, drains, on animals, and on people for control of diseases such as scabies and head lice. People are exposed to pesticides in their daily lives through multiple routes of exposure such as occupational or food, water, and air. Many pesticides can be used safely and effectively, but care must be taken while using them. Several pesticides are beneficial in agriculture for killing pests. Yet many times their injurious effects offset the positive ones. Uses of pesticides are apprehension for sustainability of environment and global stability. This chapter aims to discuss pesticides, their types, routes of their exposure, human health concerns related to them, methods to stop using them, and a future scenario of the world after eradicating pesticides.

Organochlorine Pesticides

Indiscriminate use of different pesticides in agriculture has increased over the years, especially in the developing countries. This influences the aquatic environment to a great extent. This also poses a great danger to freshwater organisms, including fish, which constitute a major share in the aquatic environment and contribute to the economy of the nation. Water pollution is posing intricate problems that need immediate redress. Organo-chlorine pesticides (OCPs) are a major contributor to aquatic pollution and are amongst the most serious global contaminants. In addition, organochlorine pesticides have a tendency to accumulate in aquatic biota; they also undergo food chain amplification. Lipophilic pollutants are chemically very stable and resistant to microbial, photochemical, chemical, and thermal degradation. The chemical stability of these compounds, their high lipid solubility, and their toxicity to human beings and animals has led government and researchers to feel concerned about their presence in the environment.

Water Purification Using Different Chemical Treatment

Water from surface sources is often contaminated by microbes, whereas groundwater is normally safer, but even groundwater can be contaminated by harmful chemicals from human activities or from the natural environment. The purification process of water may reduce the concentration of particulate matter including suspended particles, parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi, and a range of dissolved and particulate material derived from the surfaces. Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. Most water is purified for human consumption (drinking water), but water purification may also be designed for a variety of other purposes, such as medical, pharmacology, chemical, and industrial applications. In general, the methods used include physical processes such as filtration and sedimentation, biological processes such as slow sand filters or activated sludge, chemical processes such as flocculation and chlorination, and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.