Assessing the Effects of Pesticides on the Soil Microbial Community: Advances, Standardization of Methods and the Need for a New Regulatory Framework

Karpouzas, Dimitrios

doi:10.1007/698_2021_797

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…This ability of AMF, or rather AMF-associated hyphosphere and rhizosphere bacteria, has been demonstrated for several organic pollutants [126,127] and it is likely that it also ext+ends to the degradation of organic pesticides. White et al [128] noted that inoculation with AMF improved the remediation potential of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) in soils spiked with (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDE), a primary metabolite of the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Therefore, pesticide toxicity might be alleviated by AMF either through enhanced degradation or through increased plant uptake and subsequent removal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Pesticides on the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis

Pagano,

Kyriakides,

Kuyper

2023

Agrochemicals

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Substantial amounts of pesticides, used in agricultural production to control pests, diseases, and weeds, and thereby attain high product quantities and quality, can severely affect the ecosystem and human health. The amounts of pesticides used depend on the specifics of the current production system but also exhibit large effects of past practices. Pesticides do not act only on the target organisms but also on organisms for which the chemicals were not specifically formulated, constituting hazardous molecules for humans and the environment. Pesticides, therefore, also influence soil microbial communities including organisms that engage in mutualistic plant symbioses that play a crucial role in its mineral nutrition, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the effects of synthetic and natural (‘green’) pesticides (fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides) on arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. We deal with both the direct effects (spore germination and extraradical and intraradical growth of the mycelium) and indirect effects on the agroecosystem level. Such indirect effects include effects through the spread of herbicide-resistant crops and weeds to neighboring ecosystems, thereby modifying the mycorrhizal inoculum potential and altering the plant–plant interactions. We also briefly discuss the possibility that mycorrhizal plants can be used to enhance the phytoremediation of organic pesticides.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Pesticides on the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis

Pagano,

Kyriakides,

Kuyper

2023

Agrochemicals

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“…Nevertheless, the OECD 216 assay has faced serious criticism for potentially overlooking toxicity effects of pesticides on soil microorganisms. 29,30 Recently, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) suggested that the OECD 216 N transformation test should be maintained as part of the ERA. 31 In the same report, they highlighted the need for novel testing approaches and identified arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as promising bioindicators for assessing the toxicity of pesticides on soil microbiota.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This test has been designed to assess the effects of pesticides on the mineralization of organic N and provides a lumped measurement of the ammonification and nitrification rates in soil. Nevertheless, the OECD 216 assay has faced serious criticism for potentially overlooking toxicity effects of pesticides on soil microorganisms 29,30 . Recently, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) suggested that the OECD 216 N transformation test should be maintained as part of the ERA 31 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of natural products used as pesticides on the soil microbiota: OECD 216 nitrogen transformation test fails to identify effects that were detected viaq‐PCR microbial abundance measurement

Pedrinho,

Karas,

Kanellopoulos

et al. 2024

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUNDNatural products present an environmentally attractive alternative to synthetic pesticides which have been implicated in the off‐target effect. Currently, the assessment of pesticide toxicity on soil microorganisms relies on the OECD 216 N transformation assay (OECD stands for the Organisation Economic Co‐operation and Development, which is a key international standard‐setting organisation). We tested the hypotheses that (i) the OECD 216 assay fails to identify unacceptable effects of pesticides on soil microbiota compared to more advanced molecular and standardized tests, and (ii) the natural products tested (dihydrochalcone, isoflavone, aliphatic phenol, and spinosad) are less toxic to soil microbiota compared to a synthetic pesticide compound (3,5‐dichloraniline). We determined the following in three different soils: (i) ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) soil concentrations, as dictated by the OECD 216 test, and (ii) the abundance of phylogenetically (bacteria and fungi) and functionally distinct microbial groups [ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB)] using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q‐PCR).RESULTSAll pesticides tested exhibited limited persistence, with spinosad demonstrating the highest persistence. None of the pesticides tested showed clear dose‐dependent effects on NH4+ and NO3− levels and the observed effects were <25% of the control, suggesting no unacceptable impacts on soil microorganisms. In contrast, q‐PCR measurements revealed (i) distinct negative effects on the abundance of total bacteria and fungi, which were though limited to one of the studied soils, and (ii) a significant reduction in the abundance of both AOA and AOB across soils. This reduction was attributed to both natural products and 3,5‐dichloraniline.CONCLUSIONOur findings strongly advocate for a revision of the current regulatory framework regarding the toxicity of pesticides to soil microbiota, which should integrate advanced and well‐standardized tools. © 2024 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

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Assessing the Effects of Pesticides on the Soil Microbial Community: Advances, Standardization of Methods and the Need for a New Regulatory Framework

Cited by 2 publications

References 107 publications

Effects of Pesticides on the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis

Effects of Pesticides on the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis

The effect of natural products used as pesticides on the soil microbiota: OECD 216 nitrogen transformation test fails to identify effects that were detected viaq‐PCR microbial abundance measurement

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