Organophosphate containing agrochemicals are widely used in agricultural practices to control pests and insects on vegetables, considering their broad spectrum effectivity. Organophosphate pesticides are valuable tools for reducing post-harvest crop damage caused by pests and for controlling insect-borne diseases (Ore et al., 2023).
According to United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the term “agrochemicals” refers to the various chemical products used in agriculture, including pesticides, fertilizers, and soil conditioners (Agrochemicals Regulations (Chapter 35:09). | UNEP Law and Environment Assistance Platform, 2003). Agrochemicals includes pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers, adjuvants, herbicides, nematicides, molluscicides, plant growth regulators.
Among all these agrochemicals, insecticides and pesticides are most commonly used and are extremely harmful due to the presence of large amount of organophosphates (Lamilla et al., 2021). Organophosphates are a class of organophosphorus compounds with a central phosphate molecule having alkyl or aromatic substituents. These compounds are known to inhibit the function of enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is essential for nerve function in insects. This inhibition causes accumulation of acetylcholine, leading to the overstimulation of nerves and ultimately the death of the insect/pests. (Sharma et al., 2022). Therefore, organophosphates are widely used for the production of pesticides and insecticides. Organophosphates such as monocrotophos, chlorpyrifos, phorate, parathion, methyl parathion are toxic to our environment; however, they are extensively used pesticides in agriculture.
Toxicity on humans and environment
Organophosphates can cause acute poisoning and long-term health effect such as neurological damage and endocrine disruption in humans. Symptoms of organophosphate poisoning includes nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, muscle twitching, and shortness of breath, sweating and chest tightness. Severely poisoned people may develop seizures, paralysis or coma; some may die (Sharma et al., 2022). Toxicity of organophosphates depends on its type, its concentration and time of exposure, the more of it the harmful the effect will be maybe death.
Pesticides containing organophosphates not only affect the terrestrial but also the aquatic habitat. These chemicals are non-degradable in soil incapable to absorb and degrade rendering them to exist in soil forever. This leads to the contamination of soil and killing beneficial insects. The addition of pesticides also shows toxic effect on the growth of soil bacteria and interrupts with the degradation of organic matter. Due to its persistent nature, it also affects the water bodies eventually. As it remains on soil surface it gets washed off by rain or during irrigation causing water pollution and damage the aquatic life which in turn may be consumed by humans.
Sustainable solution for the damage control
In the present times, it has been difficult to have a healthy lifestyle along with safe and healthy environment. Finding an amicable solution for those damage-causing agricultural practices in utmost important. Firstly, a simple solution will be to restrict the use of toxic pesticides. Considering their high toxicity, many organophosphates have been restricted or banned in several countries. For example, chlorpyrifos have restrictions in the European Union and the United States due to concerns over its impact on human health and the environment (Sharma et al., 2022).
Secondly, an effective solution against organophosphate-containing agrochemicals is to create a biochemical or a counter product which will act as remediator to minimize or completely eradicate the damage-causing effects of these harmful agrochemicals. Certain biosurfactants such as rhamnolipids (from Pseudomonas aeruginosa), trehalolipids (from Rhodococcus sp.), lipopeptides (from Bacillus subtilis) can be used to rectify the atrocities caused by organophosphates (Raj et al., 2021).
Biosurfactants are naturally produced chemicals which are amphipathic in nature helps to degrade the residue of organophosphate containing pesticides present in soil and reduce soil pollution. They not only act as remediator against pesticides but also emulsify the soil and helps to maintain soil mineral composition. They are also used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and petroleum and food industries.
Presently, cultivation and consumption of healthy and organic crops can also be an alternative to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides. However, to tackle the damage caused by those chemicals, biosurfactants are the ray of hope. Although the concept is in its developmental stages, it could be one of the best solution currently available to rectify the pollution without further damaging the environment.
References:
- Agrochemicals Regulations (Chapter 35:09). | UNEP Law and Environment Assistance Platform. (2003). https://leap.unep.org/en/countries/bw/national-legislation/agrochemicals-regulations-chapter-3509
- Lamilla, C., Schalchli, H., Briceño, G., Leiva, B., Donoso-Piñol, P., Barrientos, L., Rocha, V.A., Freire, D.M. and Diez, M.C., 2021. A pesticide biopurification system: a source of biosurfactant-producing bacteria with environmental biotechnology applications. Agronomy, 11(4), p.624.
- Raj, A., Kumar, A. and Dames, J.F., 2021. Tapping the role of microbial biosurfactants in pesticide remediation: an eco-friendly approach for environmental sustainability. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, p.791723.
- Sharma, N., Lavania, M. and Lal, B., 2022. Biosurfactant: a next-generation tool for sustainable remediation of organic pollutants. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, p.821531
- Ore, T., Odunayo., Adeola, O., Adedapo., Bayode, A., Ajibola., Adedipe, T., Demilade and Nomngongo, N., Philiswa., 2023. Organophosphate pesticide residues in environmental and biological matrices: Occurrence, distribution and potential remedial approaches. Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (5)-9-23.
Authors:
Mr. Ishant Mandaogade, Rameesa Nadaf, Dr. Viniti Vaidya, Dr. Latika Shendre
Microbial Diversity Research Center,
Dr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute,
Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Tathawade, Pune - 411033, Maharashtra, India.