Ornamental plants as vectors of pesticide exposure and potential threat to biodiversity and human health.

ABSTRACT: The production of conventional ornamental plants is pesticide-intensive. We investigated whether pesticide active ingredients (AIs) are still present in ornamentals at the time of purchase and assessed their potential ecotoxicity to non-target organisms. We purchased 1000 pot plants and 237 cut flowers of different species from garden centers in Austria and Germany between 2011 and 2021 and analyzed them for up to 646 AIs. Ecotoxicological risks of AIs were assessed by calculating toxic loads for honeybees (Apis mellifera), earthworms (Eisenia fetida), birds (Passer domesticus), and mammals (Rattus norvegicus) based on the LD₅₀ values of the detected AIs. Human health risks of AIs were assessed on the basis of the hazard statements of the Globally Harmonized System. Over the yea

SUBMITTER: Chwoyka C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11310276 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature