Environmental risk assessment of pesticide use in Algerian agriculture

Abstract

Different pesticides are widely used to protect the crops. However, they are considered to be one of the major causes of environmental pollution. Therefore, in this project, efforts are made to characterize the potential risks of pesticides applied, to study their effects on the environment, and to understand the local professional practices. A survey was conducted among market gardeners and farmers, in two main districts of Biskra Ziban, Algeria. Using pesticide environmental risk indicator model, an Environmental Risk Score (ERS), the final indicator of environmental risk (final indicator of ER), and the normalized final environmental risk were calculated for 18 pesticides, which are most commonly used. Six active ingredients had an ERS that reached a value of 5 and more. The highest final indicator of ER was obtained for the formulation based on the active substance diazinon (score = 120.00). Besides, the perception and attitude of farmers regarding risk from pesticide exposure were also observed and discussed. Consequently, the risk indicators allowed us to compare and identify the least environmentally hazardous pesticide among all the possible alternatives.During cultivation, vegetables and fruits require the use of a broad range of pesticides. Pesticides, when released into the environment, can follow many pathways [6]. Pesticides have a tendency to be sorbed to soil particles [7]; pesticides with high vapor pressures may be easily lost to the atmosphere or move downward into aquifers, whereas soluble pesticides are more leachable to soil and groundwater. Nevertheless, it may be lost as surface water runoff because of irrigation practices or rainfall [7,8]. Pesticides may be degraded and transformed by the biological and chemical processes such as photolysis, hydrolysis, oxidation, and reduction [7,[9][10][11][12].Pesticides benefit the crops, but they negatively impact the environment, particularly, when they move outside of the application site [13,[14][15][16]. Biodiversity is mainly threatened by the intensive use of pesticides [17]. Besides, insecticides or herbicides can be toxic to the hosts of other organisms, birds, aquatic life, beneficial insects, and non-target plants [18,[19][20][21]. Furthermore, pesticides can contaminate soil, water, turf, and

Health Risk Due to Carbamate Exposure in Communities Around Paddy Field Areas

“…In Europe, a related study on human health risk assessment was an essential part of approving active ingredients as an authority for plants protection and biocide products in line with pesticide legislation (46). Risk assessment predicts pesticide exposures among farmers and their families and decides preventive activities for human adverse effects and environmental contamination (24). It contributes to identifying and determining active ingredients together with current and future environmental health status, especially in children (47).…”

“…Therefore, there is a need to monitor the presence of carbamate in the waterway streams in agricultural areas through risk assessment and management. This is because water contamination from exposure to pesticides is harmful to farmers, families, communities, and the environment (24). Furthermore, health risk assessment is needed for the early diagnosis of diseases caused by pesticides exposure, health surveillance, and reporting systems for worker protection in terms of safety and health in the agriculture area (5).…”

Environmental Pollution Control by Biotechnology based on Data Mining Algorithm

“…Sludge amount: microbial activated sludge will be precipitated after purification. Since suspended solids in water will be added, the rest will be dehydrated except for partial recycling; Dehydrating agent: the water content of the precipitated sludge is about 99%, which needs dehydration treatment; PAC: sediment of suspended solids in sewage; SS: particulate suspended matter, mainly measuring suspended matter in water; BOD: oxygen consumption of biological decomposition organic matter, calculated in 5 days; Ammonia nitrogen: nitrogen hydride content in sewage [15][16].…”