A Modeling Approach for Assessing Ecological Risks of Neonicotinoid Insecticides from Emission to Nontarget Organisms: A Case Study of Cotton Plant

The use of neonicotinoid insecticides in agriculture has posed threats to ecological systems, and there is a need to assess the ecological risks of neonicotinoids from emission to nontarget organisms. We introduced a modeling approach to assess the ecological risks of neonicotinoids using honeybee a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental toxicology and chemistry 2023-04, Vol.42 (4), p.928-938
Main Authors: Li, Zijian, Li, Minmin, Niu, Shan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agrochemicals
Animals
Apis mellifera
Bees
Cotton
Earthworms
Ecological risk assessment
Emission analysis
Emissions
Environmental conditions
Gossypium
Honeybees
Insecticides
Insecticides - analysis
Insecticides - toxicity
Modelling
Nectar
Neonicotinoids - analysis
Neonicotinoids - toxicity
Nontarget organisms
Organisms
Pesticides
Plant Nectar
Plant uptake model
Pollen
Pollen - chemistry
Simulation
Worms
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Summary:The use of neonicotinoid insecticides in agriculture has posed threats to ecological systems, and there is a need to assess the ecological risks of neonicotinoids from emission to nontarget organisms. We introduced a modeling approach to assess the ecological risks of neonicotinoids using honeybee and earthworm as model organisms, and the simulation was flexible under different environmental conditions. Using the cotton plant as an example, the simulation results demonstrated that under current recommended application rates, the use of common neonicotinoid insecticides posed no threat to earthworms, with the simulated risk quotients (RQs) much lower than 1. However, the simulation for some neonicotinoid insecticides (e.g., acetamiprid) indicated that using these insecticides on cotton plants could threaten honeybees, with simulated RQs higher than 1. The variability analysis showed that in high‐latitude regions, the unacceptable risk to honeybees posed by insecticide application can be further elevated due to cold, wet weather that results in relatively high insecticide levels in pollen and nectar. The model evaluation showed large overlaps of simulated risk intervals between the proposed and existing (BeeREX) models. Because the proposed and existing models have different simulation mechanisms, we recommend that these two models be used together to complement each other in future studies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:928–938. © 2023 SETAC
ISSN:0730-7268
1552-8618
DOI:10.1002/etc.5583