Pesticide and herbicide contamination refers to the presence and persistence of synthetic or natural plant protection chemicals and their transformation products in environmental compartments such as soil, surface water, groundwater, sediments, air, and biota. Research on this topic examines sources (agricultural runoff, spray drift, leaching, improper disposal), transport and fate processes (sorption–desorption, volatilization, photolysis, hydrolysis, biodegradation), and bioaccumulation and biomagnification in food webs. It also encompasses mixture toxicity, sublethal and chronic effects on non-target organisms, development of resistance, and the use of monitoring, risk assessment frameworks, and remediation or mitigation strategies to manage and reduce ecological and human health risks.
Monitoring the eggs of wild birds like the bearded vulture and the imperial eagle over a decade reveals the accumulation and persistence of environmental pollutants in ecosystems. At first glance, a wild bird's egg represents ...
Ecology
Jun 9, 2026
0
6
Water pollution caused by pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other organic contaminants is an increasing global issue, especially in regions with limited wastewater treatment infrastructure. A new doctoral thesis from Umea University ...
Biotechnology
Jun 8, 2026
0
13
America's bees and beekeepers are losing a valuable ally just when they need its help most. The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to soon close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, a 6,500-acre agricultural research ...
Ecology
May 26, 2026
1
21
In a lot behind a disused West Virginia gas station at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Roy Funkhouser is surrounded by about a dozen beekeepers and countless buzzing bees.
Ecology
May 19, 2026
1
74
Researchers at the São Carlos Institute of Physics at the University of São Paulo (IFSC-USP) in Brazil, led by Paulo Augusto Raymundo-Pereira, have created biodegradable, "wearable" sensors for plants to monitor their health, ...
Biotechnology
May 14, 2026
0
10
A water-based formulation developed at the University of Waterloo using nanotechnology is both greener and more effective than conventional methods for delivering agricultural pesticides.
Biotechnology
May 12, 2026
0
12
Many grocery shoppers know the routine: bring fruit and vegetables home, rinse them, dry them and hope they stay fresh long enough to be eaten. But fresh produce is delicate. Grapes shrivel, apple slices brown and berries ...
Biotechnology
May 9, 2026
1
879
Biodiversity loss is directly threatening human health and welfare, according to new research led by the University of Bristol. The study, published in Nature reveals, for the first time, how the decline of insect pollinators ...
Ecology
May 6, 2026
0
34
Long an emblem of the summer road trip, squashed bugs on the car have become less numerous over the years, many people say—causing concern about the health of the world's insect populations.
Ecology
Apr 30, 2026
3
106
Water is fundamental to all life—contaminants are harmful to humans and the environment. Herbicides used in agriculture to control weeds present a particular challenge here. The most widely used herbicide in the world is ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 29, 2026
0
29
