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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Epoxides from Aldehydes Using Sulfur Ylides with In Situ Generation of Diazocompounds We thank the EPSRC (K.M.L., M.J.P., J.R.S.), Avecia for the support of a studentship (M.P.), the EU for a Marie Curie Fellowship (E.A.; HPMF-CT-1999-00076), and Sheffield University for financial support. We thank Dr. J. Blacker (Avecia), Dr. R. V. H. Jones (Zeneca Agrochemicals), and Dr. R. Fieldhouse (Zeneca Agrochemicals) for their interest in this work.

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Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Application of Chiral Sulfides to Catalytic Asymmetric Aziridination and Cyclopropanation with In Situ Generation of the Diazo Compound We thank Avecia (M.P.), the EPSRC (M.F.), the EU for a Marie Curie Fellowship (E.A.; HPMF-CT-1999-00076), Lu'an Teacher's College and the Education Minister of The Peoples Republic of China (G.F.), and Sheffield University for financial support. We thank Dr. J. Blacker (Avecia), Dr. R. V. H. Jones (Zeneca Agrochemicals), and Dr. R. Fieldhouse (Zeneca Agrochemicals) for their interest and support of this work.

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Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Agrochemicals exposure and health implications in Githunguri location, Kenya.

A study conducted in a rural agricultural community (Githunguri location) in Kenya between 1987 and 1990 investigated the extent of use of agrochemicals, especially pesticides, by the farmers; their level of awareness of the dangers posed by these chemicals and their attitudes towards agricultural chemicals in general. The findings showed that more than 95% of the farmers used pesticides extensively. More women than men were found to be at risk of agrochemicals exposure, while babies and children were at more risk of agrochemicals exposure than the women. In this community, knowledge and awareness regarding safety in handling and storage of agrochemicals was to some extent limited. For instance, many had no knowledge of an antidote in case of accidental poisoning. Additionally, suicidal attempts by ingestion of agrochemicals was prevalent. Improper handling of the agrochemicals by the community members was implicated to have adverse health effects. These health effects were reported in form of complaints. They ranged from acute to chronic conditions. Consequently, an intervention programme was launched with the women as the key players. It is envisaged that community participation in the on going intervention programme is saving babies, children, women and the community at large from agrochemicals hazards.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Current United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service research on understanding agrochemical fate and transport to prevent and mitigate adverse environmental impacts.

Environmentally and economically viable agriculture requires a variety of cultivation practices and pest management options as no one system will be appropriate for every situation. Agrochemicals are some of the many pest control tools used in an integrated approach to pest management. They are applied with the intent of maximizing efficacy while minimizing off-site movement; however, their judicious use demands a practical knowledge of their fate and effects in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Agrochemical distribution into environmental compartments is influenced by the physical and chemical properties of the agrochemical and environmental conditions, ie soil type and structure, and meteorological conditions. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers working in the area of agrochemical fate have focused on accurately describing those processes that govern the transport, degradation and bioavailability of these chemicals under conditions reflecting actual agronomic practices. Results from ARS research concerning the environmental fate and effects of agrochemicals have led to the development of science-based management practices that will protect vulnerable areas of the ecosystem. The new challenge is to identify these vulnerable areas and the temporal and spatial variations prior to use of the chemical by predicting how it will behave in environmental matrices, and using that information, predict its transport and transformation within an air- or watershed. With the development of better predictive tools and GIS (Geographic Information System)-based modeling, the risks of agricultural management systems can be assessed at the watershed and basin levels, and management strategies can be identified that minimize negative environmental impacts.

Agrochemicals↗
PubMed1996

The role of toxicology in the evaluation of new agrochemicals.

The use of agrochemicals like crop protecting agents, veterinary disinfectants, and wood preservatives may result in (un)intentional exposure of the environment, animals and man. This paper deals with current testing strategies to assess the potential health risks for humans exposed to these chemicals during production or application or via consumption of foods containing pesticide residues. Principles and procedures for safety assessment of pesticide residues in food as developed by WHO/FAO are described. Different types of toxicity studies in mammalian test animal species are discussed and a strategy is outlined in order to characterize the toxicity profile of a compound and the relationship between applied doses and adverse effects. Safety testing of agrochemicals should be carried out in relation to its intended use, and in particular attention will be paid to toxicity testing of residues of pesticides in food. Extraplation of results from animal studies to humans and the use of safety factors is discussed. Besides the use of animal protocol studies for safety testing of agrochemicals, the potential use of in-vitro models derived from organs and tissues of animals is discussed. Data on the in-vitro metabolism of thiabendazole, aldicarb and alachlor are discussed in order to demonstrate that such data may complement or partly substitute whole animal experimentation. Principles and procedures for safety testing of residues of agrochemicals in foods as applied during the last three decades, constitute a 'safety-first' approach, providing sufficient safety margins for the consumer of foods which may contain low levels of residues of agrochemicals.

Agrochemicals↗
PubMed2004

[Micro-Raman and fluorescence spectra of several agrochemicals].

Raman and fluorescence spectra from several agrochemicals were measured, which are sold for the use in vegetables, fruits and grains. Characteristic vibration Raman peaks from some of the agrochemicals were recorded, hence the spectra can be used for their identification. Other marketed agrochemicals demonstrated strong fluorescence under 514.5 nm excitation. It was found that the fluorescence spectra of the agrochemicals are very different. According to these results one can detect the trace amount of agrochemicals left on the surface of fruits, vegetables and grains in situ and conveniently.

Agrochemicals↗
PubMed1988

Agrochemical poisoning in Sri Lanka.

Mortality resulting from agrochemicals met within the Office of the Judicial Medical Officer, Colombo, which is the premier Medico-legal Institute in Sri Lanka, are analysed over a 3-year period and the morbidity and mortality rates of the entire country are examined over a 10-year period. The number of patients admitted to hospitals in Sri Lanka during the period 1975-1983, stood at around 11,000-15,000 each year, with the year 1983 recording 16,649 admissions. The number of deaths during the same period varied from 900 to 1500 each year, while the year 1983 recording 1521 deaths. About 75% of such cases of poisoning were due to self ingestion while accidental and occupational poisoning formed the balance. Principal agricultural districts like Kurunegala, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Nuwara-Eliya and Badulla recorded the highest incidence of poisoning. The mortality figures of the Office of the J.M.O., Colombo, indicated that 4% of all bodies subjected to autopsy were those of agrochemical poisoning. The male/female ratio was 2:1. Seventy-five percent of deaths from agrochemical poisoning were recorded in the 15-39 year age group, while 33% of deaths belonged to the 20-24 age group. One third of cases of agrochemical poisoning were dead on being brought to hospital, while 50% were dead within 2 h and 60% dead within 24 h. Organophosphates accounted for 57.6% of all cases of agrochemical poisoning, while paraquat accounted for 21.2% of cases. Deaths were also reported from what are called safe chemicals like Carbamates and Pyrethrums due to their lethal additives.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Selecting the right compounds for screening: does Lipinski's Rule of 5 for pharmaceuticals apply to agrochemicals?

Large numbers of compounds are now available through combinatorial chemistry and from compound vendors to screen for lead-level agrochemical activity. The likelihood that compounds with whole-organism activity will be discovered can be increased if compounds with physicochemical parameters consistent with transport to the target site are selected for screening. Certain ranges of simple parameters (molecular mass, log P, hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors, rotatable bonds) have been correlated with oral bioavailability of drugs. The distribution of these parameters for commercial insecticides and post-emergence herbicides was examined and ranges consistent with whole-organism activity are proposed for the two classes of agrochemical. The most significant difference identified between drugs and these two classes of agrochemicals was the lower numbers of hydrogen-bond donors allowed in the latter cases. The frequency with which certain functional groups occur in drugs and agrochemicals was also compared.

Agrochemicals↗
PubMed2003

Accelerated degradation of methyl iodide by agrochemicals.

The fumigant methyl iodide (MeI, iodomethane) is considered a promising alternative to methyl bromide (MeBr) for soil-borne pest control in high-cash-value crops. However, the high vapor pressure of MeI results in emissions of a significant proportion of the applied mass into the ambient air, and this may lead to pollution of the environment. Integrating the application of certain agrochemicals with soil fumigation provides a novel approach to reduce excessive fumigant emissions. This study investigated the potential for several agrochemicals that are commonly used in farming operations, including fertilizers and nitrification inhibitors, to transform MeI in aqueous solution. The pseudo-first-order hydrolysis half-life (t(1/2)) of MeI was approximately 108 d, while the transformation of MeI in aqueous solutions containing selected agrochemicals was more rapid, with t(1/2) < 100 d (t(1/2) < 0.5 d in some solutions containing nitrification inhibitors). The influence of these agrochemicals on the rate of MeI degradation in soil was also determined. Adsorption to soil apparently reduced the availability of some nitrification inhibitors in the soil aqueous phase and lowered the degradation rate in soil. In contrast, addition of the nitrification inhibitors thiourea and allylthiourea to soil significantly accelerated the degradation of MeI, possibly due to soil surface catalysis. The t(1/2) of MeI was <20 h in thiourea- and allylthiourea-amended soil, considerably less than that in unamended soil (t(1/2) > 300 h).

Adsorption↗
PubMed2006

Modern agrochemical research: a missed opportunity for drug discovery?

The word "agrochemical" has often taken on a pejorative character in the public mind. Some of the negative tone might have coloured the perception of the industry by pharma, together with views on the chemical nature of agrochemicals that seem to be based on older pesticides that date back to the 1950s and 1960s. In this review, we try to address some of these concerns, draw out the similarities between agrochemical and pharmaceutical research and highlight opportunities for drug discovery that are offered by pesticide-related compounds, particularly with regard to herbicides and compounds with leadlike physical properties.

Agrochemicals↗
PubMed2005

High throughput screening in agrochemical research.

The demand for new herbicides, insecticides and fungicides led to a steady increase in the number of compounds being tested to find novel market products. To keep pace with the rising workload, high throughput screening (HTS) technologies have been introduced. In agrochemical research miniaturised in vivo tests on whole real target organisms are now possible and are an integral part of the screening cascade. A complementary target based in vitro HTS has also been established in agrochemical research. Target based HTS allows a directed approach towards untouched market shares by novel modes of action. Selection of the best suited targets is the most crucial issue in this approach. Genomic methods thereby deliver many essential genes as candidate targets. Consideration of further criteria such as druggability notably narrows down the number of promising targets. Though target to hit to lead progression still is as in pharmaceutical research a complex and therefore risky process, the implementation of novel bioscience technologies has entailed the transition to an integrated innovative agrochemical research perspective.

Agrochemicals↗
PubMed1988

Cytogenetic examination of people working with agrochemicals in the southern region of Hungary.

The team performed medical examinations, including cytogenetic examinations, on 55 people working professionally with agrochemicals in eight farmers' cooperatives of County Csongrád in the southern region of Hungary. The people exposed to spraying in a closed space showed no increase in chromosome aberrations. There was an increase in chromosome aberrations in workers exposed to these agrochemicals in open fields. No conclusions regarding workers' health can be drawn from these data. Regulations designed to prevent accidents with agrochemicals are more effective for closed spaces than for the open fields.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Effects of the agrochemicals butachlor, pretilachlor and isoprothiolane on rat liver xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes.

1. The herbicides butachlor (2-chloro-2',6',diethyl-N-[buthoxymethyl] acetanilide) and pretilachlor (2-chloro-2',6'-diethyl-N-[2-propoxyethyl] acetanilide) are widely used in Asia, South America, Europe and Africa. Isoprothiolane (diisopropyl-1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidenemalonate) is used as a fungicide and an insecticide in rice paddies. We administered these agrochemicals to the male rat and examined their effects on cytochrome P450 (P450), glutathione S-transferase (GST), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT), and NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)-related metabolism in the liver. 2. Administration of isoprothiolane, butachlor or pretilachlor to rat induced hepatic P4502B subfamily-dependent enzyme activities (pentoxyresorufin O-depentylation and testosterone 16 beta-hydroxylation) up to 271-413% of control, which coincided with the increase in expression levels of the P4502B apoprotein. 3. Activities of GST toward 1-chloro-2,4-nitrobenzene and 3,4-dichloronitrobenzene were slightly induced (127-133% of control) in the liver of the rat treated with these pesticides. On the other hand, marked elevations of UDPGT activities toward p-nitrophenol (164-281% of control) were observed. NQO1-related metabolism (menadione reductase activity) was also induced (123-176% of control) in the liver of rat treated with these agrochemicals. 4. These results indicate that some of the agrochemicals currently in use are capable of inducing phase I and II xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme activities in an isozyme selective manner. The induction of these activities may disrupt normal physiologic functions related to these enzymes in exposed animals.

Acetanilides↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Application of calorimetry to microbial biodegradation studies of agrochemicals in oxisols.

Calorimetry was used to monitor the inhibitory effect caused by the bipyridynium diquaternary salts paraquat, diquat, and phosphamidon on microbial activity in a Red Latosol soil (Oxisol). The thermal effect was recorded on samples composed of 1.50 g of soil, 6.0 mg of glucose, 6.0 mg of ammonium sulfate, and different masses of an inhibitor ranging from zero to 8.00 mg, under a controlled moisture content of 35%. Thermal effects of each pollutant on the degradation curves of glucose in the soil were compared. Increasing amounts of the inhibitor caused a decrease in the thermal effect from -2234 to -1987 kJ mol(-1) for paraquat, -1670 to -1306 kJ mol(-1) for diquat, and -2239 to -589 kJ mol(-1) for phosphamidon. The last xenobiotic agent caused a significant inhibitory effect on the microbial activity of the soil. The results of relative efficiency, eta = deltaH/deltaH', referring to the enthalpic value with (deltaH) and without (deltaH') agrochemical in the soil, exhibited a significant correlation. From this correlation obtained for the ranges 2.00 to 8.00, 1.30 to 8.00, and 1.20 to 5.80 mg of the agrochemicals paraquat, diquat, and phosphamidon, respectively, the following eta values were calculated: 0.993 to 0.894, 0.668 to 0.522, and 0.896 to 0.236, respectively, during the degradation of glucose in the soil. The largest relative efficiency for paraquat implies that this agrochemical can be metabolized by microbial activity.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Prognosis of accumulation of 137Cs and 90Sr in the herbage of the main types of the Belarus Polessje meadows using agrochemical soil properties].

On the basis of long-term stationary experience it was established that the minimum accumulation quantities for 137Cs and 90Sr in the herbage of the dry, lowland and flood-plain types of the Belarus Polessje meadows contaminated with Chemobyl radionuclides are determined when the optimum of basic agrochemical soil properties is achieved with application of the scientifically reasonable protective measures. For remote prognosis of radionuclide contents in natural and cultural meadow herbage the use of transfer factors (TFa, (Bq/kg)(kBq/m2)) based on the complex agrochemical parameters--agrochemical cultivation soil index (Icd) and basic saturation degree (V, %), which take into account some soil characteristics simultaneously, is a streamlined approach. This paper provides the equations of linear and multiple regressions, which can be used to calculate the transfer factors for 137Cs and 90Sr uptake and the herbage contamination degree for the main types of meadows of the region, that will allow reducing the volume of forage production (hay, green bulk), which is not adequate to established permissible levels: "Republican allowable levels of the contents of 137Cs and 90Sr in agricultural raw material and forages".

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1985

[Respiratory function disorders caused by agrochemical exposure].

With the aim to evaluate possible influences of exposition to agrochemicals upon the respiratory system, the ventilatory parameters VC, FEV1,0, FIV1,0, and the values of PaO2 and PaCO2 were investigated in 93 males professionally exposed to mineral fertilizers, and in 69 males professionally exposed to pesticides--both groups working in agrochemical centres. A control group consisted of 162 males without exposition to agrochemicals. In exposed workers mean values of VC, FEV1,0, and PaO2 were lower (highly significant) compared with the control group. Mean values of FEV1,0, FIV1,0, and PaO2 in workers exposed to mineral fertilizers were in the borderline region. Influences upon the respiratory system should be further investigated with regard to long-term effects and to fitness for the job.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Exposure to agrochemicals and DNA adducts in Western Liguria, Italy.

Pesticides are used to control pests and improve agricultural production. Despite their selectivity of action, a number of agrochemicals have been reported to be genotoxic using the (32)P-DNA postlabeling assay. Greenhouse floriculturists are suspected of being heavily exposed to agrochemicals during loading, mixing, and application of pesticides, as well as during manual activities by continuous contact with flowers and ornamental plants. We analyzed the DNA adduct formations in the white blood cells (WBCs) of 57 nonsmoker greenhouse floriculturists and 33 nonsmoker age-matched referents residing in the Western Liguria Region, Italy-the most important Italian greenhouse floriculture area. The averages of DNA adducts, expressed as relative adduct labeling (RAL), were 8.50 x 10(9) +/- 1.98 (SE) in floriculturists and 2.17 x 10(9) +/- 1.05 (SE) in referents. DNA adducts were significantly higher in floriculturists than in controls after adjustment for age and gender (P = 0.007). A specific adduct pattern, with up to six different spots, was observed in 60% of floriculturists, while no adducts were generally detected in controls. Our study represents an important contribution to the correct evaluation of the potential health risk associated with floriculture activity and supports the adoption of measures ensuring pesticide exposure reduction in greenhouses.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[The agrochemical arsenal versus the enemies of plants. General considerations].

Plants are attacked, not only by various microorganisms, but also by other enemies, such as molluscs, nematods, mites, and insects. They have evolved complex and efficient mechanisms to defend themselves against pathogens (hypersensitive response, systemic acquired resistance) and herbivores (release of volatile compounds that attract predators of the herbivores, accumulation of proteinase inhibitors). Yet, the confrontation of the plants with their invaders can also turn to the advantage of the latter. In the past, the attacks of crops regularly brought about dramatic economic losses. From the World War II onwards, the development of organic chemistry associated with a growing awareness of the problems of agriculture has resulted in the production of a constantly growing number of plant protection products. They are currently divided into about ten classes, the herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides-acaricides making up more than 90% of the world market. Most of the agrochemical products put on the market over these last three decades are used in relatively low doses and have a more favourable toxicological and ecotoxicological profile than those of the former pesticides, many of which are now withdrawn from the market. Several more or less recent families are derivatives of metabolites from various organisms. Thus, the improvement achieved in the protection of crops is outstanding. However, one on the main side-effect is an environmental imbalance that has entailed a dependency on agrochemicals. Quite judiciously, alternative strategies (elicitors, genetic engineering, etc.) have been initiated or developed over the last decade.

Agrochemicals↗