About this Research Topic
Agrochemicals are synthetic chemicals such as pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, and others commonly used in agricultural and non-agricultural settings. Modern agriculture mostly depends on the application of these agrochemicals that have a remarkable contribution in enhancing agricultural production. Also, it is predicted to further increase the application of agrochemicals within the next decades following a non-linear rise due to the rapidly growing human population, climate change and simultaneously reducing cultivable land.
The extensive and indiscriminate use of these agrochemicals has hostile impacts on soil health, agricultural sustainability, biodiversity, food safety, nutritional security, and non-target biotas. The modification in soil microbial diversity and composition is creating unfavourable conditions for plant growth and development by reducing nutrient availability or increasing disease incidence. In addition, the intensive and improper use of these agrochemicals leads to soil and water contamination causing imminent environmental and health hazards. Though bulk amounts of agrochemicals are used in high-income countries, a vast majority (95%) of toxicity cases occur in developing nations due to a lack of awareness, misuse, improper handling, etc. Based on the joint report of UNEP and WHO, approximately 200,000 people die throughout the world, and roughly 3 million are poisoned every year due to agrochemicals.
The use of agrochemicals must ensure human and ecological safety from both the parent compounds and their hazardous metabolites. So, there is a need for developing improved formulations and application technologies, and green & sustainable remediation technologies for agrochemical residues to minimize human and environmental health risks. This research topic aims to explore the safe use of agrochemicals in agricultural and non-agricultural settings, particularly focusing on case studies, review articles, and original research articles that focus on increasing agrochemical use efficiency and their green & sustainable remediation technologies to ensure food safety.
The extensive and indiscriminate use of these agrochemicals has hostile impacts on soil health, agricultural sustainability, biodiversity, food safety, nutritional security, and non-target biotas. The modification in soil microbial diversity and composition is creating unfavourable conditions for plant growth and development by reducing nutrient availability or increasing disease incidence. In addition, the intensive and improper use of these agrochemicals leads to soil and water contamination causing imminent environmental and health hazards. Though bulk amounts of agrochemicals are used in high-income countries, a vast majority (95%) of toxicity cases occur in developing nations due to a lack of awareness, misuse, improper handling, etc. Based on the joint report of UNEP and WHO, approximately 200,000 people die throughout the world, and roughly 3 million are poisoned every year due to agrochemicals.
The use of agrochemicals must ensure human and ecological safety from both the parent compounds and their hazardous metabolites. So, there is a need for developing improved formulations and application technologies, and green & sustainable remediation technologies for agrochemical residues to minimize human and environmental health risks. This research topic aims to explore the safe use of agrochemicals in agricultural and non-agricultural settings, particularly focusing on case studies, review articles, and original research articles that focus on increasing agrochemical use efficiency and their green & sustainable remediation technologies to ensure food safety.
Keywords: Pesticides, Fertilizers, Soil health, Urban agriculture, Food safety, Leftover residues and toxicity, Trace elements, Human health effects, Environmental hazards, Degradation and remediation
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