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The use of synthetic pesticides carries a significant risk of pests developing resistance, leading to decreased pesticide effectiveness. ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters, especially the ABCC subfamily members, have been suggested to act as efflux pumps for various pesticides, thereby contributing to pesticide resistance. So far, the identification of potential pesticide substrates of insect ABC transporters is most often based on the quantification of transcript in arthropods. Here, we screened and identified the potential pesticide substrates of ABCC‐9C from Tribolium castaneum based on an in vitro ATPase activity assay. Together with affinity evaluation‐, cytotoxicity analysis‐, and RNA interference‐based bioactivity tests, we revealed that the insecticides, carbofuran, and buprofezin, are potential substrates of TcABCC‐9C. Additionally, we identified an amphipathic translocation channel in the transmembrane domain of TcABCC‐9C formed by 8 transmembrane helices. Molecular docking suggested that both carbofuran and buprofezin bind at the same site within the translocation channel via hydrophobic interactions. These findings indicate that TcABCC‐9C might play a critical role in multi‐pesticide resistance, providing a potential target for managing pesticide resistance and laying the groundwork for future pest control strategies. Given the conservations among ABCC subfamily members, the experimental model we developed in this study can be also applied to identify the potential substrates of other ABCC transporters, as well as to predict insecticide resistance mediated by ABCC transporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous increase in food production to support the growing population, ensuring agricultural sustainability using crop‐protecting agents, such as pesticides, is vital. Conventional pesticides pose significant environmental risks, prompting the need for eco‐friendly alternatives. This study reports the synthesis of new amide‐based insecticidal active ingredients from biomass‐derived monomers, specifically furfural and vanillin. The process involves reductive amination followed by carbonylation. The synthesis of the furfural‐based carbamate yield reaches a cumulative 88 %, with catalysts Rh/Al2O3 and La(OTf)3 being recyclable at each stage. Insecticidal activity assessments reveal that the furfural carbamate exhibits competitive performance, achieving an LC50 of 254.22 μg/cm2, compared to 251.25 μg/cm2 for carbofuran. Ecotoxicity predictions indicate significantly lower toxicity levels toward non‐target aquatic and terrestrial species. The importance of the low octanol‐water partition coefficient of the biobased carbamate, attributed to the oxygen heteroatom and electron density of the furan ring, is discussed in detail. Building on these promising results, the synthesis strategy was extended to six other biobased aldehydes, resulting in a diverse portfolio of biomass‐derived carbamates. A techno‐economic analysis reveals a minimum selling price of 11.1 $/kg, only half that of comparable carbamates, demonstrating the economic viability of these new biobased insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers heavily treat crops with fertilizers and pesticides in an effort to maximize production. It causes a great deal of ecological destruction in addition to poor soil health. Crop poisoning can occasionally arise from the overuse of insecticides. Some well‐known pesticides, such as chlorpyrifos, carbofuran, and endrin, are members of the organophosphate, organochlorine, and carbamates families and remain in crops for extended periods of time. Remaining organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are thought to be endocrine disruptors and carcinogenic. A person's risk of developing endometriosis, hypopadias, cryptorchidism, and malignancies of the breast, lung, cervix, and prostate may increase if there is an accumulation of OCP in their body. Reports have also linked the effects of OCP exposure to human growth, cerebral development, and psychomotor development. Since they are no longer allowed to be manufactured or used, organochlorine insecticides have raised a great deal of concern because they can still be found in large quantities, even in remote locations. Living things become harmful over an extended period of time when exposed to such chemical residues. Pesticide overuse can have detrimental effects on the food chain and the ecosystem. It entirely changes the pH of the soil and lowers its fertility. Food products can become hazardous to humans if they are consumed soon after a pesticide application. This review study raises important concerns about crops treated with excessive pesticides that endanger human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the increasing demands for food production, the utilization of cost‐effective pesticides like carbofuran (CB) becomes essential. CB poses a significant risk to human health due to its high toxicity. Therefore, accurate quantification of CB residue is essential for environmental safety and human health. Electrochemical sensors have proven to be an outstanding choice for the accurate detection and quantification of carbofuran residues. CB is electrochemically inactive and was first hydrolyzed in an alkaline medium to yield an anodically active phenolic derivative carbofuran phenol (CP). This report details the development of a voltammetric sensor for the accurate detection of CB residues utilizing the cyclic voltammetry technique and the electrochemical reactions of CP at WS2 nanosheet‐modified electrodes in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The constructed sensor has displayed a linear range of carbofuran detection from 10–90 μM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.38 μM and sensitivity of 0.303 μA μM−1 cm−2. Additionally, the developed sensor has been employed to monitor CB residues in real soil and water samples and it shows a recovery greater than 95 %. The developed sensor enables the cost‐effective monitoring of carbofuran in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptomyces saraceticus strain 31 (SS31) exhibits antagonistic activities against a variety of phytopathogenic bacteria, fungi and nematodes. In our effort to integrate SS31 into an effective pest management programme for controlling plant pathogens, we assessed the toxicities of 74 pesticides commonly employed in agricultural production on SS31 using paper disc assays. Most of the test insecticides, acaricides, nematicides and plant growth regulators showed no antagonistic effects towards SS31. However, all six tested herbicides, glyphosate, paraquat, glufosinate‐ammonium, quizalofop‐ethyl, pendimthalin and butralin exerted strong inhibitory effects on SS31. Among the 42 tested fungicides, half of them, including acid amides, strobilurins, carbamates, antibiotics and morphine displayed no detrimental effects on SS31. Notably, copper‐based fungicides demonstrated high toxicity to SS31. Although chlorothalonil and thiophanate methyl + streptomycin displayed inhibitory effects on SS31, applying these pesticides with SS31 in pot tests resulted in a lower Meloidogyne incognita galling index compared with the mock control under greenhouse conditions. Additionally, applying SS31 with carbofuran or ethoprop effectively controlled M. incognita. These findings can provide strategies to refine application timing and enhance the beneficial effects of SS31. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbofuran is one of the most toxic broad‐spectrum pesticides. We evaluated the effects of carbofuran on two species of microalgae, Pseudopediastrum boryanum and Desmodesmus communis, through measurements of cell viability, biomass, chlorophyll content, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ability of these algae to remove carbofuran dissolved in the media was also determined. For the evaluations, both microalgae species were exposed to carbofuran (FURADAN 350 SC®) at concentrations of 100, 1000, and 10,000 µg L–1 for 7 days. Algae cell viability and chlorophyll‐a concentration were not affected by the presence of carbofuran. Both species grew when exposed to the pesticide; however, the microalgae D. communis grew less than its respective control when exposed to the highest concentration (10,000 µg L–1 of carbofuran), indicating an adverse effect of the pesticide on this species. A significant increase in ROS production was observed in D. communis and P. boryanum when exposed to the highest concentration tested. The microalgae P. boryanum completely removed carbofuran in the media within 2 days, regardless of the concentration, whereas D. communis achieved the same result only after 5 days of exposure. Growth inhibition was observed only until the disappearance of carbofuran from the media. The present study suggests the use of microalgae, mainly P. boryanum, as potential tools for the remediation of environments contaminated by carbofuran because of their resistance to the insecticide and their ability to remove it rapidly from water. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:926–937. © 2023 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some bacteria can degrade organic micropollutants (OMPs) as primary carbon sources. Due to typically low OMP concentrations, these bacteria may benefit from supplemental assimilation of natural substrates present in the pool of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The biodegradability of such auxiliary substrates and the impacts on OMP removal are tightly linked to biotransformation pathways. Here, we aimed to elucidate the biodegradability and effect of different DOM constituents for the carbofuran degrader Novosphingobium sp. KN65.2, using a novel approach that combines pathway prediction, laboratory experiments, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Pathway prediction suggested that ring hydroxylation reactions catalysed by Rieske‐type dioxygenases and flavin‐dependent monooxygenases determine the transformability of the 11 aromatic compounds used as model DOM constituents. Our approach further identified two groups with distinct transformation mechanisms amongst the four growth‐supporting compounds selected for mixed substrate biodegradation experiments with the pesticide carbofuran (Group 1: 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid, 4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde; Group 2: p‐coumaric acid, ferulic acid). Carbofuran biodegradation kinetics were stable in the presence of both Group 1 and Group 2 auxiliary substrates. However, Group 2 substrates would be preferable for bioremediation processes, as they showed constant biodegradation kinetics under different experimental conditions (pre‐growing KN65.2 on carbofuran vs. DOM constituent). Furthermore, Group 2 substrates were utilisable by KN65.2 in the presence of a competitor (Pseudomonas fluorescens sp. P17). Our study thus presents a simple and cost‐efficient approach that reveals mechanistic insights into OMP‐DOM biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The insecticide carbosulfan is usually applied as a soil treatment or seed‐coating agent, and so may be absorbed by crops and pose dietary risks. Understanding the uptake, metabolism and translocation of carbosulfan in crops is conducive to its safe application. In this study, we investigated the distribution of carbosulfan and its toxic metabolites in maize plants at both the tissue and subcellular levels, and explored the uptake and translocation mechanism of carbosulfan. RESULTS: Carbosulfan was mainly taken up by maize roots via the apoplast pathway, was preferentially distributed in cell walls (51.2%–57.0%) and most (85.0%) accumulated in roots with only weak upward translocation. Carbofuran, the main metabolite of carbosulfan in maize plants, was primarily stored in roots. However, carbofuran could be upwardly translocated to shoots and leaves because of its greater distribution in root‐soluble components (24.4%–28.5%) compared with carbosulfan (9.7%–14.5%). This resulted from its greater solubility compared with its parent compound. The metabolite 3‐hydroxycarbofuran was found in shoots and leaves. CONCLUSION: Carbosulfan could be passively absorbed by maize roots, mainly via the apoplastic pathway, and transformed into carbofuran and 3‐hydroxycarbofuran. Although carbosulfan mostly accumulated in roots, its toxic metabolites carbofuran and 3‐hydroxycarbofuran could be detected in shoots and leaves. This implies that there is a risk in the use of carbosulfan as a soil treatment or seed coating. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of some pesticides known to have harmful effects on human health on carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes. Therefore, carbonic anhydrase isoenzymes (hCA I and II) were purified from human erythrocytes. The isoenzymes were purified from human erythrocytes by using an affinity column that has the chemical structure of Sepharose‐4B‐4‐(6‐amino‐hexyloxy)‐benzenesulfonamide. The purity of the isoenzymes was checked by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE). It was determined that the pesticides used in this study inhibit hCA I and hCA II isoenzymes at different levels in vitro. It was determined that the strongest inhibitor for the hCA I enzyme was Carbofuran (IC50:6.52 μM; Ki: 3.58 μM) and the weakest one was 1‐Naphtol (IC50:16.55 μM; Ki: 14.4 μM) among these pesticides. It was also found that the strongest inhibitor for the hCA II enzyme was coumatetralil (IC50:5.06 μM; Ki: 1.62 μM) and the weakest one was Dimethachlor (IC50 14.6 μM; Ki: 8.44 μM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residues of carbamates pesticides can cause a threat to human and animal health. Therefore, the exact and speedy detection of pesticides is very urgent. In this work, a novel acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensor based on amino functionalized nitrogen‐doped reduced graphene oxide (NrGO−NH2) has been developed for the determination of carbamates pesticides. The NrGO−NH2 can not only serve as electronic bridges and signal amplifiers, but also efficiently immobilize AChE. The detection linear range for carbofuran is ranged from 0.05 to 11 ng/mL, and the detection limit is 0.025 ng/mL. Under the optimum conditions, the developed biosensor has also been successfully used for pesticide residues detecting in vegetable samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosensors containing cholinesterase are analytical devices suitable for the assay of neurotoxic compounds. In the research on biosensors, a new platform has appeared some years ago. It is the digital photography and scoring of coloration (photogrammetry). In this paper, a colorimetric biosensor is constructed using 3D-printed multiwell pads treated with indoxylacetate as a chromogenic substrate and gold nanoparticles with the immobilized enzyme butyrylcholinesterase. A smartphone camera served for photogrammetry. The biosensor was tested for the assay of carbofuran and paraoxon ethyl as two types of covalently binding inhibitors: irreversible and pseudoirreversible. The biosensor exerted good sensitivity to the inhibitors and was able to detect carbofuran with a limit of detection for carbofuran 7.7 nmol/l and 17.6 nmol/l for paraoxon ethyl. A sample sized 25 μl was suitable for the assay lasting approximately 70 minutes. Up to 121 samples can be measured contemporary using one multiwell pad. The received data fully correlated with the standard spectrophotometry. The colorimetric biosensor exerts promising specifications and appears to be competitive to the other analytical procedures working on the principle of cholinesterase inhibition. Low-cost, simple, and portable design represent an advantage of the assay of the biosensor. Despite the overall simplicity, the biosensor can fully replace the standard spectroscopic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel double‐windows fluorescence sensor for carbofuran (CF) detection was successfully developed based on rare‐earth Eu,Tb‐doped Y2O3@SiO2‐based molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (MINs) with a multilayer core‐shell structure. The recognition process of the MINs for CF was fairly fast and needed only ~8 min to reach a dynamic equilibrium. Interestingly, one fluorescence attenuation window was found with an increase in CF concentration (Q) from 0.1 to 10 μg ml−1 and with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.04 μg ml−1 at 544 nm belonging to the Tb3+ emission, as well as another fluorescence enhanced window within the CF concentration range 10–100 μg ml−1 (LOD = 4 μg ml−1) at 617 nm of Eu3+ emission in the dispersed rare‐earth‐doped MIN colloidal aqueous solution. Luminescence resonance energy transfer from CF to Eu3+ and an inner filter effect of CF towards Tb3+, as well from the two independent detection windows were clearly observed simultaneously. The competition experiment displayed hardly any marked interference during detection of CF following addition of its analogues (carbaryl, isoprocarb, aldicarb, methomyl, and etofenprox). Moreover, the MINs could also be applied to accurately detect CF in rhubarb and wolfberry samples with recoveries of 85.7–92.2%. This sensing system has high specific recognition and a wide detection range for CF and provides new opportunities for pesticide detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbofuran is a broad‐spectrum synthetic pesticide. Its exposure to non‐target mammals affects the biological system through the induction of oxidative stress. Since oxidative stress is a major contributing factor to cellular autophagy and senescence, our present investigation determined the impacts of carbofuran‐induced oxidative stress on cellular autophagy and senescence. A transmembrane protein, Spinster homolog 1 (Spns1), is involved in autophagic lysosomal metabolism. Its mutation accelerates the cellular senescence and shortens the lifespan. Using a transgenic zebrafish line, expressing fluorescent microtubules‐associated protein 1 light chain 3 (EGFP‐LC3) at the membrane of the autophagosome, we found that carbofuran affects autophagic lysosomal biogenesis in wild‐type zebrafish and exacerbates autophagic defect in spns1‐mutant zebrafish. In real‐time mortality study, carbofuran has shortened the lifespan of wild‐type fish. Nrf2 is a stress‐responsive transcription factor that regulates the expression of antioxidant genes (such as gstp1) in the prevention of oxidative stress‐mediated cellular damage. To assess the effect of carbofuran on Nrf2 signalling, we established a dual‐monitoring transgenic zebrafish line, expressing gstp1 promoter‐driven EGFP and mCherry‐tagged Neh2 domain of Nrf2. Our results suggested that the exposure of carbofuran has down‐regulated both Nrf2 and Gstp1 expressions. Overall, carbofuran affects cellular autophagy and accelerates senescence by enervating the Nrf2 signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Coating seed with pesticides is an effective way to control plant pests, however, factory‐based coating processes may carry a potential risk to operational workers of chemical exposure. To study the risk, carbofuran and tebuconazole were used to coat corn seed and their subsequent distribution on the bodies of workers was measured at manufacturers XFS and LS (Shanxi, China). Clothing was collected from workers during operations and analyzed using high‐performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: At XFS, dermal exposure to carbofuran was 4.83, 3.31 and 1.48 mg kg−1, and exposure to tebuconazole was 6.88, 5.16 and 1.72 mg kg−1 for coating, packing and transport workers, respectively. At LS, dermal exposure to carbofuran was 2.32, 0.46 and 0.55 mg kg−1, and exposure to tebuconazole was 1.69, 0.46 and 0.70 mg kg−1, for coating, packing and transport workers, respectively. The level of pesticide exposure was significantly higher for seed‐coating workers than for packing and transport workers. The main area of exposure was the hands for all workers and the lower limbs for packers; exposure was relatively uniform for pesticide handlers. Occupational risk was assessed based on margin of exposure (MOE). In seed‐coating, the MOE was greater than 100 for tebuconazole, indicating no potential risk, but ranged from 0.25 to 2.88 for carbofuran, indicating the risk of a health impact. CONCLUSION: The level of exposure varied depending on type of operation undertaken and body parts of workers' body, but the risk of a health impact was highly associated with pesticide toxicity. This provides a guideline for workers in pesticide manufacturing to ensure safe operation of the seed‐coating process. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbofuran is a broad‐spectrum carbamate insecticide, which principally inhibits the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme in the nervous system. Nonetheless, their selective action is not restricted to a single species and expanded to humans. No studies are available on the toxicological effects of carbofuran in the endothelial cells (ECs), which first confronts the toxicants in blood vessels. Hence, we have exposed the human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) with carbofuran for 24 h, which significantly reduced the cell survival to 25.16% and 33.48% at 500 and 1,000 μM analyzed by MTT assay. In the neutral red uptake (NRU) assay, 16.68%, 30.99%, and 58.11% survival decline was found at 250, 500, and 1,000 μM of carbofuran. HUVECs exposed to carbofuran showed significant increase in the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), indicating oxidative stress at low concentrations. In parallel, HUVECs showed hyperpolarization effects in the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) upon carbofuran exposure. Carbofuran induced DNA damage in HUVECs measured as 8.80, 11.82, 35.56, and 79.69 Olive tail moment (OTM) in 100‐, 250‐, 500‐, and 1,000‐μM exposure groups. Flow cytometric analysis showed apoptotic peak (SubG1) and G2M arrest in the HUVECs exposed to carbofuran. Overall, our novel data confirm that carbofuran is toxic for the EC cells, especially at the higher concentrations, which may affect the vascular functions and possibly angiogenesis. Hence, carbofuran should be applied judiciously, and detailed vascular studies are warranted to gain an in‐depth information focusing the transcriptomic and translation changes employing suitable in vivo and in vitro test models. Herein carbofuran toxicity was analyzed in HUVECs, as a model of endothelial cells. Carbofuran showed significant cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction from low to high exposure concentrations. HUVECs exposed to carbofuran exhibited DNA damage, G2M arrest and apoptosis in HUVECs analyzed by comet assay and flow cytometry. This is a first report on HUVECs validating carbofuran toxicity, which may induce a comparable effect in the human vascular cells and may affect angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for natural nematicides that are biodegradable with little or no human toxicity has intensified in recent years. In this context, the use of essential oils has the potential to function as an alternative plant–parasitic nematode control strategy, and their characterization may identify new nematicidal molecules. In this study, the nematicidal activity of Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil, its most abundant biochemical component and its analogue were evaluated against Meloidogyne incognita. Mean LC50 and LC95 values for C. zeylanicum oil were 49 µg/ml and 131 µg/ml, respectively. When J2 placed in C. zeylanicum oil at its LC50 concentration were used to inoculate tomato plants, the reduction in numbers of galls and eggs versus samples inoculated using J2 and no C. zeylanicum oil was 98%. C. zeylanicum essential oil reduced levels of M. incognita J2 that hatched 38%–54%, while carbofuran (positive control) did not prevent hatching. C. zeylanicum oil applied at a concentration of 800 µg/ml to a potted substrate containing infested tomato plants significantly reduced numbers of M. incognita galls. The cinnamaldehyde molecule within C. zeylanicum oil had LC50 and LC95 values of 64 and 768 µg/ml, respectively, while LC50 and LC95 values for cinnamaldehyde oxime were 323 and 529 µg/ml, respectively. Both cinnamaldehyde and its oxime inhibited hatching in M. incognita J2. These findings indicate that C. zeylanicum essential oil, its major biochemical component, cinnamaldehyde and cinnamaldehyde oxime (a cinnamaldehyde analogue) can be used to reduce levels of M. incognita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An automatic flow injection system (FIA) using the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactor connected with the choline oxidase (ChOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) carbon paste electrode for organophosphorous (ORPs) and carbamate pesticides determination is exploited. The ORPs are measured based on the inhibition of AChE. Two different sources of AChE from eel and housefly head are studied, respectively. The detection limit for paraoxon (10 ppb) and carbofuran (23 ppb) is found in the housefly head AChE. The AChE from housefly head shows 16 times higher sensitivity than the enzyme from eel for paraoxon. The linear range of the housefly head AChE biosensor is 8–100 ppb. The throughput of five‐sample hour−1 is obtained with a good reproducibility. The fruit juice and river water samples are studied and show the feasibility for further applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbofuran is a carbamate pesticide, widely used in agricultural practices to increase crop productivity. In mammals, carbofuran is known to cause several untoward effects, such as apoptosis in the hippocampal neuron, oxidative stress, loss of memory and chromosomal anomalies. Most of these effects are implicated with cellular senescence. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of carbofuran on cellular senescence and biological ageing. Spinster homolog 1 (Spns1) is a transmembrane transporter, regulates autolysosomal biogenesis and plays a role in cellular senescence and survival. Using senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase staining, we found that carbofuran accelerates the cellular senescence in spns1 mutant zebrafish. The yolk opaqueness, a premature ageing phenotype in zebrafish embryos, was accelerated by carbofuran treatment. In the survival study, carbofuran shortened the life span of spns1 mutant zebrafish. Autophagy is the cellular lysosomal degradation, usually up‐regulated in the senescent cells. To know the impact of carbofuran exposure on autophagy progress, we established a double‐transgenic zebrafish line, harbouring EGFP‐tagged LC3‐II and mCherry‐tagged Lamp1 on spns1 mutant background, whereas we found, carbofuran exposure synergistically accelerates autolysosome formation with insufficient lysosome‐mediated degradation. Our data collectively suggest that carbofuran exposure synergistically accelerates the cellular senescence and affects biological ageing in spns1 defective animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbofuran photodegradation in water using zinc oxide nanoparticles as a catalyst was examined as well as some parameters influencing its percentage degradation rate such as zinc oxide load, initial concentration of carbofuran, the temperature of the reaction, the initial pH of the solution, and doping of zinc oxide nanoparticles with 5% (w:w) silver. Zinc oxide and Ag‐doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were produced using solvothermal and photoreduction methods, respectively, and silver doping effects on the structural, optical, and photocatalytic properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles were investigated using XRD, UV‐VIS spectrophotometer, TEM, SEM, SEM/EDX, and FTIR. The average diameter of the synthesized samples was 26.6, 30.55 nm for undoped zinc oxide and Ag‐doped zinc oxide, respectively. Zinc oxide doping with silver did not change the shape of the zinc oxide crystal, but decreased the reflection in the visible region, as well as the energy of the bandgap, and increased the zinc oxide photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The greater cane rat, as it is commonly known, is often called grasscutter (in Ghana, Nigeria and other regions of West Africa). Even though is highly patronized as a delicacy by a majority of Ghanaians (akrantie—Twi language) mostly in the rural areas, the persistent reports on people being poisoned as a result of eating food prepared with grasscutter which has been captured/killed by the use of poison are deterring people from consuming the grasscutter meat despite its high protein content. The objective of this study was, therefore, to investigate the actual ingredients that are used in the formulation of poison to capture grasscutter for human consumption. Questionnaires were administered to participants (farmers) who are involved in grasscutter hunting to solicit the ingredient they formulate to poison the grasscutter in their hunting. To prove the activeness of these ingredients, the main ingredient used in formulating the poison to capture the grasscutters were tested on two male grasscutters and these were yellow oleander root (Cascabela thevetia; syn: Thevetia peruviana) powder and carbofuran. The findings of the experimental trial revealed that the grasscutter that was fed with yellow oleander root powder did not die but showed some signs of intoxication and staggered each time it tried to move. However, the grasscutter fed with carbofuran died within 10 hr of being poisoned. Majority of the participants attested to the fact that the use of poison increases their chance of capturing the grasscutter, especially in the dry season since the poison is not washed away by the rainwater. However, consuming grasscutter poisoned with either yellow oleander root power or carbofuran could be detrimental to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive use of pesticides in agricultural fields is a matter of great concern for living beings as well as the environment across the world, in particular, the third world countries. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find out an effective way to degrade these hazardous chemicals from the soil in an environment‐friendly way. In the current project, a bacterial species were isolated through enrichment culture from carbofuran‐supplemented rice‐field soil and identified as a carbofuran degrader. The rate of carbofuran degradation by this bacterial species was evaluated using reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC), which confirmed the ability to utilize as a carbon source up to 4 µg/ml of 99% technical grade carbofuran. The morphological, physiological, biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence showed that this strain belongs to the genus of Enterobacter sp. (sequence accession number LC368285 in DDBJ), and the optimum growth condition for the isolated strain was 37°C at pH 7.0. Moreover, an antibiotic sensitivity test showed that it was susceptible to azithromycin, penicillin, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and gentamycin, and the minimal inhibitory concentration value of gentamycin was 400 μg/ml against the bacteria. It shows beyond doubt from the RP‐HPLC quantification that the isolated bacterium has the ability to detoxify carbofuran (99% pure). Finally, the obtained results imply that the isolated strain of Enterobacter can be used as a potential and effective carbofuran degrader for bioremediation of contaminated sites through bioaugmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, porous sandwich structure Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated by polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes and β‐cyclodextrin were prepared by surface polymerization and were used as the magnetic solid phase extraction adsorbent for the extraction and determination of carbaryl and carbofuran. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes and β‐cyclodextrin were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometry, and scanning electron microscopy. After optimizing the extraction conditions, a method that combined magnetic solid phase extraction with high‐performance liquid chromatography was developed for the determination of carbaryl and carbofuran in apple. The method exhibited a good linearity in the range of 2–400 μg/kg for carbaryl and carbofuran (R2 = 0.9995), respectively. The limits of detection were 0.5 μg/kg of carbaryl and 0.7 μg/kg for carbofuran in apple, respectively. Extraction recoveries ranged from 94.2 to 103.1% with the preconcentration factor of 300 and the relative standard deviations were less than 5.9%. These results indicated that the method combined magnetic solid phase extraction with high‐performance liquid chromatography and was promising for the determination of carbaryl and carbofuran at trace amounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results obtained in studies on laboratory animals are usually extrapolated to human health-based guidance values (HBGV) using default assessment factors and frequently these are applied also for pets. 1 Safety of Pesticides, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany; 2 Inst... B Introduction b : The use of pesticides should not result in adverse effects on human and animal health. B Conclusions b : The results confirm the existence of considerable differences in sensitivity exceeding the uncertainty factor of 10 applied to cover interspecies differences between laboratory animals and man. [Extracted from the article]

Carbofuran is an insecticide with a broad spectrum of activity and is relatively cheap. It is banned in many countries in the world; however, it remains widely used in Asia, Australia, and South America. Carbofuran is commonly used in vegetable farming in Malaysia and it is a legally registered pesticide. This study reports the uptake and dissipation of carbofuran and 3-ketocarbofuran in Chinese kale and brinjal under humid tropic field conditions. The residue profile in plants demonstrated an increase to a maximum, followed by a consistent reduction to a level below the limit of determination (<0.01 mg/kg) over the experimental period. The maximum residue concentration was attained on Day 3 for kale (1.16 mg/kg fresh weight) and Day 7 for brinjal (0.06 mg/kg fresh weight) after carbofuran application. In order to comply with the maximum residue level (MRL) of 0.01 mg/kg, the preharvest interval for kale and brinjal were suggested at 23 and 28 days, respectively. The preharvest interval indicates that carbofuran is not recommended for Chinese kale but it is acceptable for brinjal. The average half-life of carbofuran in soil is 1.24 days, shorter than the literature values reported based on temperate condition, indicating accelerated dissipation under tropical climate. The estimated half-life of carbofuran in leaves was shorter than that in fruits with kale leaves reported at 2.54 days whilst brinjal leaves and fruits recorded at 3.22 and 10.33 days, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, stable and sensitive non‐enzymatic sensor was developed with metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) that have attracted great attention in electrochemical sensors applications in recent years. The pore structures of MIL (Fe)‐101 and MIL (Fe)‐53 are the families of MOFs that were constructed via a simple solvothermal procedure. The 35MIL‐101(Fe)‐reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite has been used for modification of glassy carbon electrode for the determination of carbofuran (CBF) and carbaryl (CBR). The porosity of the composites increased the voltammetric responses significantly for CBF and CBR in a mixed solution that makes the simultaneous determination of both carbamate pesticides possible. Characterization of MIL (Fe)‐101 and MIL (Fe)‐53 were performed with FT‐IR, XRD, BET and SEM. Finally, the introduced sensor under the optimal conditions showed low detection limits of 1.2 and 0.5 nM within the linear ranges of 5.0–200.0 nM and 1.0–300.0 nM for CBF and CBR, respectively. The non‐enzymatic sensor was successfully used to monitoring of carbamates residue in vegetable and fruit samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we developed a roll‐to‐roll printed poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)/polystyrene sulphoanate without graphene oxide (GO) (PEDOT/PSS) and with graphene oxide (PEDOT/PSS/GO) plastic films for the electrochemical determination of carbofuran. Both the PEDOT/PSS and PEDOT/PSS/GO plastic films showed electroactivity towards the oxidation of carbofuran. Incorporation of graphene oxide (GO) improves the electrochemical activity of carbofuran and increased its sensitivity. The printed plastic films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), surface profilometer, four point probe and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The effects of pH, deposition time, deposition potential and film thickness on the oxidation peak current of carbofuran were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, a dynamic linear range of 1 μM–90 μM with a detection limit of 1.0×10−7 M (S/N=3) were obtained. The printed PEDOT/PSS/GO plastic electrode was applied for the determination of carbofuran in vegetable and fruit samples with recoveries between 94.4 and 101.8 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Resistance to pesticides is an evolutionary process that entails, in most cases, substantial consequences to the biology of the resistant populations. In this study we focus on the life history traits of the potato tuber moth Tecia solanivora, an invasive and voracious pest for which resistance to pyrethroid insecticides was recently reported. Marginally resistant and multiple‐resistant populations were selected from eight sampled localities in Colombia; the use of a fully susceptible population was not possible since none was recognized in the laboratory or field. The multiple‐resistant Siachoque population exhibited a 42‐fold resistance to the carbamate insecticide carbofuran, and low levels of resistance to chlorpyrifos, a trend observed in six of the eight tested populations. This population also exhibits 24‐fold resistance to permethrin. The marginally resistant population of Gualmatán showed 4‐fold resistance to chlorpyrifos. RESULTS: The multiple‐resistant population exhibited a 3.8‐day shorter developmental time than the susceptible population, but with higher larval mortality. The peak of egg‐laying was delayed in the resistant population in 9 days and the population growth rate was lower than that of the susceptible population. CONCLUSION: We hypothesize that the short developmental time of the multiple‐resistant population may be an adaptation to minimize exposure to insecticides, which are applied to the soil. This adaptation is likely to require the surviving adults to compensate for the smaller nutrient amounts accumulated by the larvae in investing part of its adult life in securing the necessary resources for late‐life egg production. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The dissipation behavior, pre‐harvest interval and dietary risk of carbosulfan, dimethoate, and their relevant metabolites were investigated in greenhouse cucumber in Tianjin, northern China, to ensure raw consumption safety. RESULTS: Carbosulfan was metabolized to carbofuran, dibutylamine, 3‐hydroxycarbofuran and 3‐ketocarbofuran, and dimethoate was degraded to omethoate in cucumber fruits and leaves. The dissipation of carbosulfan, carbofuran, 3‐hydroxycarbofuran and dimethoate fitted first‐order kinetics well, with R2 ranging from 0.912 to 0.992, and their half‐lives were 2.6, 2.7, 2.4 and 5.2 days in cucumber fruits and 2.8, 3.0, 4.6 and 2.5 days in leaves, respectively. The estimated daily intakes of the active ingredients and their relevant metabolites were 0.1–4% of the corresponding acceptable daily intakes. Acute oral exposure to carbofuran (a metabolite of carbosulfan) represented 367% of the acute reference dose (ARfD) for 1–6‐year‐old Chinese children and 227% for the general Chinese population. CONCLUSION: A minimum pre‐harvest interval of 12 days for carbosulfan is proposed to ensure safe consumption of cucumber. The slow dissipation rate of omethoate in cucumber reveals that a longer pre‐harvest interval (≥ 27 days) is necessary to prevent dietary risk when dimethoate is applied to cucumber. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acclimatized microbial consortia and bacterial strains were isolated from natural river biofilms to investigate their carbofuran degradation ability. Under 28-day continuous enrichment culturing of river biofilms, the acclimatized microbial consortia were obtained and showed a high carbofuran removal rate (52.5%). The batch experiments showed that 28- and 35-day loofah-sponge-attached acclimatized consortia ( i.e., microbial consortia A and B) had low carbofuran removal rates. However, after preservation, the carbofuran degradation abilities of both microbial consortia recovered possibly due to the growth of carbofuran degraders. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis revealed that Stenotrophomonas sp., Pseudomonas fulva, Comamonas jiangduensis, and Thermolithobacter sp. dominated in both microbial consortia. The best preservation conditions to have high carbofuran removal for microbial consortia A and B were −20°C for 3 months (55.7% removal) and 25°C for 1 month (73.9% removal), respectively. The isolated Sphingobacterium multivorum showed high carbofuran removal rates with and without sugar (67.4 and 73.1% removal) at pH 7 (25°C), followed by those at pH 7 (30°C) and pH 9 (25°C) (41.2 and 32.1% removal). This strain was able to degrade carbofuran in the simulated carbofuran-contaminated paddy fields. The study demonstrated that the immobilized microbial consortia and S. multivorum from river biofilms are good biomaterials for bioremediating carbofuran-contaminated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, chlorpyrifos ( CP) and carbofuran are often applied together to control major agricultural pests in many developing countries, in most cases, they are simultaneously detected in agricultural soils. Some cost-effective techniques are required for the remediation of combined pollution caused by multiple pesticides. In this work, we aim at constructing a detectable recombinant microorganism with the capacity to simultaneously degrade CP and carbofuran. To achieve this purpose, CP/carbofuran hydrolase genes and gfp were integrated into the chromosome of a biosafety strain Pseudomonas putida KT2440 using a chromosomal scarless modification strategy with upp as a counter-selectable marker. The toxicity of the hydrolysis products was significantly lower compared with the parent compounds. The recombinant strain could utilize CP or carbofuran as the sole source of carbon for growth. The inoculation of the recombinant strain to soils treated with carbofuran and CP resulted in a higher degradation rate than in noninoculated soils. Introduced green fluorescent protein can be employed as a biomarker to track the recombinant strain during bioremediation. Therefore, the recombinant strain has potential to be applied for in situ bioremediation of soil co-contaminated with carbofuran and CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes the fabrication of unique arrow head shaped CuO nanostructures using simple hydrothermal treatment method. The highly attractive features were obtained by the application of glutaric acid utilised simultaneous as template and functionalising agent. The functionalised nanostructures were known to possess excellent potential towards the electro-catalytic oxidation of carbofuran pesticide. The generated intense electrochemical signal with lower potential value enabled sensitive and selective determination of carbofuran up to 1×10−3 µM with wide sensing window in range of 0.01 to 0.16 µM. The feasibility of the developed sensor system for the practical application was also studied by testing its potential in real sample extracts of various vegetables. The excellent recoveries demonstrated the analytical robustness of the developed sensor system. The sensor system utilises a new and simple approach towards sensitive determination of toxic pesticides reflecting its wide spectrum application in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND In the striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis, A314S, R667Q and H669P substitutions in acetylcholinesterase 1 ( CsAChE1) have been associated with >1000-fold resistance against carbofuran. In this study, eight variants of CsAChE1 carrying different combinations of these substitutions were cloned and expressed using the Bac-to-Bac expression system to verify their contributions. RESULTS The expressed AChE1s had molecular weights of ca 160 kDa per dimer and 80 kDa per monomer. AChE kinetics and inhibition analysis showed that the A314S mutation was the key substitution responsible for a 15.1-fold decrease in hydrolytic activity to acetylthiocholine iodide and a 10.6-fold increase in carbofuran insensitivity of CsAChE. Compared with wild-type CsAChE1, this substituted CsAChE1 also showed 23.0-, 3.3- and 2.6-fold insensitivity to methomyl, triazophos and chlorpyrifos-oxon respectively. It should be noted that the R667Q substitution conferred a capability to increase the activity of wild-type and A314S-substituted CsAChE, while the A314S substitution reduced Km and compensated for overall catalytic efficiency. CONCLUSION With the enhancing activity of the R667Q substitution, A314S is the major CsAChE1 substitution responsible for fitness-cost compensation and increased insensitivity to AChE inhibitors. The lower insensitivity of A314S-substituted CsAChE1 to chlorpyrifos-oxon suggests that chlorpyrifos could be an alternative insecticide for managing carbofuran-resistant field C. suppressalis in Taiwan. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indiscriminate use of carbofuran to improve crop productivity causes adverse effects in nontargets including mammalian systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate carbofuran induced oxidative stress in rat brain stem and its attenuation by curcumin, a herbal product. Out of 6 groups of rats, 2 groups received two different doses of carbofuran, that is, 15 and 30% of LD50, respectively, for 30 days. Out of these, 2 groups receiving same doses of carbofuran were pretreated with curcumin (100 mg/kg body weight). The levels of antioxidants, TBARS, GSH, SOD, catalase, and GST were determined in rat brain stem. The 2 remaining groups served as placebo and curcumin treated, respectively. The data suggested that carbofuran at different doses caused significant alterations in the levels of TBARS and GSH in dose dependent manner. The TBARS and GSH contents were elevated. The activities of SOD, catalase, and GST were significantly inhibited at both doses of carbofuran. The ratio of P/A was also found to be sharply increased. The pretreatment of curcumin exhibited significant protection from carbofuran induced toxicity. The results suggested that carbofuran at sublethal doses was able to induce oxidative stress in rat brain which could be attenuated by curcumin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranol methylcarbamate), is known to induce oxidative stress and to cause inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity. The present work was envisaged to evaluate the effect of carbofuran on redox indices and its interactions with hepatic markers in rat. The ameliorating effect of Citrus limon fruit extract on carbofuran induced toxicity was also monitored. The results indicated that carbofuran treatment caused significant alterations in the levels of activities of AST, ALT, and LDH in liver tissues and serum. The levels of enzymatic oxidative stress markers such as SOD and catalase and nonenzymatic redox molecules such as total thiol, GSH, and protein thiol also showed significant perturbations in rat liver due to carbofuran treatment. The administration of Citrus limon fruit extract, however, was able to markedly ameliorate the toxicity of carbofuran by protecting the levels of aforesaid biomarkers to near normal levels. The ameliorative effect of Citrus limon fruit extract may be due to the presence of different antioxidants in it which may neutralize the ROS and RNS generated in the body tissue due to pesticide stress. These results suggested that Citrus limon fruit extract may be utilized as a potential supplement in proper management of pesticide intoxication in association with relevant therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article describes a miniaturized potentiometric carbofuran chemical sensor on graphene nanosheets with incorporated lipid films. The graphene electrode was used for the development of a very selective and sensitive chemical sensor for the detection of carbofuran by immobilizing an artificial selective receptor on stabilized lipid films. The artificial receptor was synthesized by transformation of the hydroxyl groups of resorcin[4] arene receptor into phosphoryl groups. This chemical sensor responded for the wide range of carbofuran concentrations with fast response time of ca. 20 s. The presented potentiometric carbofuran chemical sensor is easy to construct and exhibits good reproducibility, reusability, selectivity, rapid response times, long shelf life and high sensitivity of ca. 59 mV/decade over the carbofuran logarithmic concentration range from 10-6 to 10-3 M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cypermethrin is widely used for insect control; however, its toxicity toward aquatic life requires its complete removal from contaminated areas where the natural degradation ability of microbes can be utilized. Agricultural soil with extensive history of CM application was used to prepare enrichment cultures using cypermethrin as sole carbon source for isolation of cypermethrin degrading bacteria and bacterial community analysis using PCR-DGGE of 16 S rRNA gene. DGGE analysis revealed that dominant members of CM enrichment culture were associated with α-proteobacteria followed by γ-proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Three potential CM-degrading isolates identified as Ochrobactrum anthropi JCm1, Bacillus megaterium JCm2, and Rhodococcus sp. JCm5 degraded 86-100% of CM (100 mg L−1) within 10 days. These isolates were also able to degrade other pyrethroids, carbofuran, and cypermethrin degradation products. Enzyme activity assays revealed that enzymes involved in CM-degradation were inducible and showed activity when strains were grown on cypermethrin. Degradation kinetics of cypermethrin (200 mg kg−1) in soils inoculated with isolates JCm1, JCm2, and JCm5 suggested time-dependent disappearance of cypermethrin with rate constants of 0.0516, 0.0425, and 0.0807 d−1, respectively, following first order rate kinetics. The isolated bacterial strains were among dominant genera selected under CM enriched conditions and represent valuable candidates for in situ bioremediation of contaminated soils and waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the analysis of pesticides in complex food matrices with economic importance, alternative chromatographic techniques, such as supercritical fluid chromatography, can be used. Supercritical fluid chromatography has barely been applied for pesticide analysis in food matrices. In this paper, an analytical method using supercritical fluid chromatography coupled to a photodiode array detection has been established for the first time for the quantification of pesticides in papaya and avocado. The extraction of methyl parathion, atrazine, ametryn, carbofuran, and carbaryl was performed through the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe methodology. The method was validated using papaya and avocado samples. For papaya, the correlation coefficient values were higher than 0.99; limits of detection and quantification ranged from 130-380 and 220-640 μg/kg, respectively; recovery values ranged from 72.8-94.6%; precision was lower than 3%. For avocado, limit of detection values were ˂450 μg/kg; precision was lower than 11%; recoveries ranged from 50.0-94.2%. Method feasibility was tested for lime, banana, mango, and melon samples. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method is applicable to methyl parathion, atrazine, ametryn, and carbaryl, toxics pesticides used worldwide. The methodology presented in this work could be applicable to other fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Over 1000-fold carbofuran resistance has been observed in Chilo suppressalis (Walker) collected from the Changhua ( CH) and Chiayi ( CY) prefectures of Taiwan. An understanding of the pertinent mechanisms will benefit effective insecticide resistance management of C. suppressalis. RESULTS Among the five amino acid substitutions of acetylcholinesterase ( AChE) identified in C. suppressalis, A314S and H668P had been reported and E101D, F402V and R667Q were novel. Substitution frequencies in AChE of CH and CY populations were much higher than in the susceptible Hsinchu ( HC) population. Significantly negative correlations were observed between the frequencies of E101D, A314S and R667Q and the kinetic parameters of AChEs in these populations. AChE from the resistant CH population was less susceptible to the inhibition of carbofuran, with an I50 that was 3.6-fold higher than that of the susceptible HC population. Although Km and Vmax of AChE from the CH and CY populations were reduced to 72-87% of those from the HC population, the overall catalytic efficiency ( Vmax/ Km) remained constant for all three populations. CONCLUSION Amino acid substitutions identified in the AChE of C. suppressalis are associated with changes in AChE kinetics and its insensitivity to carbofuran. These observations are helpful for rapid monitoring, prediction and management of OP and CB resistance in the field. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extraction method based on dispersive nanomaterial ultrasound-assisted microextraction was used for the preconcentration of carbofuran and propoxur insecticides in water samples prior to high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. ZnS:Ni nanoparticles were synthesized based on the reaction of the mixture of zinc acetate and nickel acetate with thioacetamide in aqueous media and then loaded on activated carbon (ZnS:Ni-AC). Different methods were used for recognizing the properties of ZnS:Ni-AC and then this nanomaterial was used for extraction of carbamate insecticide as new adsorbent. The influence of variables on the extraction method (such as amount of adsorbent (mg: NiZnS-AC), pH and ionic strength of sample solution, vortex and ultrasonic time (min), ultrasound temperature and desorption volume (mL) was investigated by a screening 27-4 Plackett-Burman design. Then the significant variables were optimized by using a central composite design combined with a desirability function. At optimum conditions, this method had linear response >0.0060-10 μg/mL with detection limit 0.0015 μg/mL and relative standard deviations <5.0% ( n = 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Pesticides cause oxidative stress and adversely influence Na+-K+-ATPase activity in animals. Since impact of carbofuran has not been properly studied in the mammalian brain, the ability of carbofuran to induce oxidative stress and modulation in Na+-K+-ATPase activity and its amelioration by vitamin E was performed. The rats divided into six groups received two different doses of carbofuran (15% and 30% LD50) for 15 days. The results suggested that the carbofuran treatment caused a significant elevation in levels of malonaldehyde and reduced glutathione and sharp inhibition in the activities of super oxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione- S-transferase; the effect being dose dependent. Carbofuran at different doses also caused sharp reduction in the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase. The pretreatment of vitamin E, however, showed a significant recovery in these indices. The pretreatment of rats with vitamin E offered protection from carbofuran-induced oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the effect from exposure to insecticides carbofuran and deltamethrin on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brain and muscle of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Both pesticides were evaluated through two separate experiments, and carp were exposed in a semi-static system to three different concentrations of carbofuran (10, 50, and 100 μg/L) and deltamethrin (0.08, 0.4, and 0.8 μg/L) during a month with sampling times at 0, 4, 15, and 30 days (n = 7 from each aquarium). AChE activity was significantly inhibited in both organs of carps exposed to carbofuran at all sampling times depending on dose and time, reaching inhibition values of 73.5 and 67.1%, in brain and muscle tissues respectively, after 30 days with the highest concentration. On the contrary, AChE activity was not significantly affected after deltamethrin exposure at all concentrations and times of the assay. This study shows that the measurement of brain and muscle AChE activity in Cyprinus carpio is a useful biomarker of carbamates exposure and/or effects, but has no application with pyrethroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Organophosphates and carbamates are major agrochemicals that strongly affect different neuroenzymes and the growth of various fish species. Here, we study the effect of sublethal concentrations of profenofos and carbofuran on the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and the associated health risk in fish. Labeo rohita fingerlings were exposed to three sublethal concentrations of profenofos and carbofuran. The minimum cholinesterase activities in the brain, gills, muscle, kidney, liver, and blood were after exposure to profenofos (0.06 mg/L). The minimum AChE and BuChE activities in the brain, gills, muscle, kidney, liver, and blood were after exposure to carbofuran (0.28 and 0.198 mg/L). Exposure to both types of pesticides affected the functions of these organs, including metabolism and neurotransmission, to various extents at different exposure concentrations. These findings suggest that they are required to be properly monitored in the environment, to reduce their toxic effects on nontarget organisms [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The levels of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, carbofuran, and cartap which were estimated in the flesh of Catla catla sampled from ten sites of Ravi River between its stretches from Shahdara to Head Balloki were studied to know the level of contamination of the selected pesticides by GC-ECD method. All fish samples were found contaminated with different concentrations of DDT, DDE, endosulfan, and carbofuran; however, DDT and DDE concentrations were more than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) about food standards, while endosulfan sulfate and cartap were not detected. Pesticide concentrations in the fish flesh were ranged from 3.240 to 3.389 for DDT, 2.290 to 2.460 for DDE, 0.112 to 0.136 for endosulfan, and 0.260 to 0.370 μg g-1 for carbofuran. The findings revealed that the pesticide concentrations in the fish flesh decreased in the order: DDT > DDE > carbofuran > endosulfan. After Degh fall and After Hudiara nulla fall river sampling sites were found severely contaminated. It is proposed that a constant monitoring programs are needed to be initiated to overcome the present alarming situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcass searches are a common method for studying the risk of anthropogenic hazards to wildlife, including nontarget poisoning and collisions with anthropogenic structures. Typically, numbers of carcasses found must be corrected for scavenging rates and imperfect detection. Parameters for these processes (scavenging and detection) are often estimated using carcass distribution trials in which researchers place carcasses in the field at known times and locations. In this manuscript I develop a variety of estimators based on multi-event or hidden Markov models for use under different experimental conditions. I apply the estimators to two case studies of avian mortality, one from pesticide exposure and another at wind turbines. The proposed framework for mortality estimation points to a unified framework for estimation of scavenging rates and searcher efficiency in a single trial and also allows estimation based only on accidental kills, obviating the need for carcass distribution trials. Results of the case studies show wide variation in the performance of different estimators, but even wider confidence intervals around estimates of the numbers of animals killed, which are the direct result of small sample size in the carcass distribution trials employed. These results also highlight the importance of a well-formed hypothesis about the temporal nature of mortality at the focal hazard under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption of insecticide, carbofuran from aqueous solution onto activated carbon derived from palm oil fronds (PFAC) was investigated through batch study. The effects of both initial concentration and pH of the carbofuran over the range of 25 to 250 mg/L and 2 to 12, respectively, on the adsorption of the prepared PFAC were studied in batch experiments. Equilibrium data were fitted to the Langmuir, the Freundlich, and the Temkin isotherm models. The results obtained from application of these models show that the best fits were achieved with the Langmuir model, and a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 164 mg/g was obtained at 30°C. The regeneration efficiency of spent activated carbon was studied and it was found to be 90.0-96.4%. The results indicated that PFAC has good capability as adsorbent for the removal of carbofuran from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbofuran, an anticholinestrase carbamate, is commonly used as an insecticide. Its toxic effect on kidney is less established. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of carbofuran on kidneys and to understand the mechanism involved in its nephrotoxicity. Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups of eight animals each; control animals received sunflower oil (vehicle) and carbofuran exposed animals were treated with carbofuran (1 mg/kg body weight) orally for 28 days. At the end of the treatment, significant increase was observed in urea and creatinine levels in serum along with the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, suggesting nephrotoxicity. The antioxidant defense system of animals treated with carbofuran was altered in terms of increased lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, and total thiols and decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase). The results indicate that carbofuran is nephrotoxic and increased oxidative stress appears to be involved in its nephrotoxic effects. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 26:393-398, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.21433 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Carbofuran is a carbamate insecticide that inhibits AChE. Although toxic by ingestion in mammals, it has low dermal toxicity, with relatively few confirmed worker illnesses. This risk assessment describes its time of onset, time to peak effect and time to recovery in rats using brain AChE inhibition in acute and 21 day dermal studies; in vitro rat/human relative dermal absorption for granular (5G) and liquid (4F) formulations; occupational exposure estimates using the Pesticide Handlers' Exposure Database and Agricultural Handlers' Exposure Database (PHED/AHED). RESULTS: The point of departure for acute risk calculation (BMDL10) was 6.7 mg kg−1 day−1 for brain AChE inhibition after 6 h exposure. In a 21 day study, the BMDL10 was 6.8 mg kg−1 day−1, indicating reversibility. At 75 mg kg−1 day−1, time of onset was ⩽30 min and time to peak effect was 6-12 h. Rat skin had ca tenfold greater dermal absorption of carbofuran (Furadan® 5G or 4F) than human skin. Exposure estimates for 5G in rice and 4F in ten crops had adequate margins of exposure (>100). CONCLUSION: Rat dermal carbofuran toxicity was assessed in terms of dose and time-related inhibition of AChE. Comparative dermal absorption in rats was greater than in humans. Worker exposure estimates indicated acceptable risk for granular and liquid formulations of carbofuran. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to contribute an ecologically relevant assessment of the ecotoxicological effects of pesticide applications in agricultural areas in the tropics, using an integrated approach with information gathered from soil and aquatic compartments. Carbofuran, an insecticide/nematicide used widely on sugarcane crops, was selected as a model substance. To evaluate the toxic effects of pesticide spraying for soil biota, as well as the potential indirect effects on aquatic biota resulting from surface runoff and/or leaching, field and laboratory (using a cost-effective simulator of pesticide applications) trials were performed. Standard ecotoxicological tests were performed with soil ( Eisenia andrei, Folsomia candida, and Enchytraeus crypticus) and aquatic ( Ceriodaphnia silvestrii) organisms, using serial dilutions of soil, eluate, leachate, and runoff samples. Among soil organisms, sensitivity was found to be E. crypticus < E. andrei < F. candida. Among the aqueous extracts, mortality of C. silvestrii was extreme in runoff samples, whereas eluates were by far the least toxic samples. A generally higher toxicity was found in the bioassays performed with samples from the field trial, indicating the need for improvements in the laboratory simulator. However, the tool developed proved to be valuable in evaluating the toxic effects of pesticide spraying in soils and the potential risks for aquatic compartments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:437-445. © 2011 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the history of regulation of the pesticide carbofuran in North America after its introduction in the 1960s. Evidence of its non-target effects on wildlife and birds, environmental persistence, and human health risks ultimately led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ban the chemical in 2010. Reports of illegal carbofuran use against wildlife in Kenya, India, and Europe are reviewed.

Equine grass sickness (EGS) occurs mainly in Great Britain, but has once been reported in Hungary. The stud which was affected by EGS in 2001 had no new cases until 2009/10, when 11 of 60 and five of 12 one- to three-year-old colts died or were euthanased due to EGS. Following a few hours in the high-risk field during the winter of 2010/11 further four cases of acute EGS were noted among these horses. The affected horses showed somewhat different clinical signs compared with the cases reported in Great Britain. Histopathological findings in these horses were consistent with EGS. In most examined cases carbofuran, a carbamate was found in the liver by toxicological examination, and it is postulated that carbofuran may influence the immune system and therefore predispose the horses to develop EGS. Carbamates are thought to cause a delayed neurotoxicity in human beings. Further studies are needed to clarify the potential role of carbamates in EGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]