RDL 760

Comprehensive Study of Monocrotophos as pesticide in Agriculture

Submitted by

AMIT KANKARWAL GAURAV KUMAR MEENA

(2010CE10327) (2010CE10346)

Objectives of the study

• The purpose of this report is to study Monocrotophos comprehensively, covering

its usage in agriculture, its toxicity potential, food contamination by it and its causes,

effects on ecology (especially on human beings), metabolites formed and their toxicity level,

Accidents so far happened due to this pesticides in india. In the end we would discuss about remedies and possible Substitution for this

harmful pesticide.

Relevance of this study

• Currently, India is the second largest producer of pesticides in Asia and ranks twelfth in the world for the use of pesticides. A vast majority of the population in India is engaged in agriculture and is therefore exposed to the pesticides used in agriculture. • However, exposure to pesticides both occupationally and environmentally

causes a range of human health problems. It has been observed that the pesticides exposures are increasingly linked to immune suppression, hormone disruption, diminished intelligence, reproductive abnormalities and cancer• By taking example of Monocrotophos the above mentioned problems are

highlighted in this presentation. • Such studies and Pesticide awareness programs are highly needed in our

country where pesticide poisoning is common among farmers.

Introduction

General features• Monocrotophos is a systemic insecticide belonging to the vinyl

phosphate group. • Monocrotophos is an Organophosphorus compound. It is highly toxic

by all routes of exposure. Monocrotophos can be absorbed following ingestion, inhalation and skin contact.

Introduction

Physical Properties

• Reddish-brown mixture of solid and liquid (at 25-30°C)• Soluble in water, acetone and alcohol; very slightly soluble in mineral

oils.• Stable when stored in glass and polyethylene containers.• Technical grade has a half-life of 2500 days at 38°C.

Introduction

Chemical Identity• IUPAC: Dimethyl (E)-1-methyl-2-(methyl-carbamoyl) vinyl phosphate

• Molecular formula: C7H14NO5P• Molecular wt.: 223.2

Introduction

Toxicity Potential• Monocrotophos is classified in the WHO Class Ib. i.e. as a highly

hazardous pesticide. • Monocrotophos is very commonly used in India (mainly for cotton

crops) as it is cheap and versatile towards various pests.Monocrotophos production in India• The total reported national production of Monocrotophos in India

ranged between 8121 metric tonnes in 2003-04 to 5118 metric tonnes in 2007-08.

Introduction

Use of Monocrotophos in India• Mainly it is used for agricultural purposes for pest management.• The major crops on which it is applied are cotton, rice, pulses,

groundnuts, vegetables and fruits. • Amongst vegetables, brinjal and tomato receive the highest number of

applications. • Amongst fruit crops, mango and grapes have the highest share of this

insecticide. • Among spices, chillies and tea receive a higher number of applications

with Monocrotophos

Reported state-wise use of Monocrotophos

Reported crop-wise Monocrotophos use in India

• From the above two tables it can be easily inferred that the consumption of Monocrotophos is reducing. • Fall in consumption is mainly due to some awareness of its high

toxicity, increased pressure from WHO’s and FAO’s Ban followed by ban on its use for vegetables by GOI.• Despite a continuous relative fall in terms of total quantities used,

Monocrotophos is still one of the most popular pesticides in the country, mainly because of its low price (currently ₹ 210-250 per litre)

Recommendations & Regulations in India • Monocrotophos is included in the list of restricted Pesticides as it is

banned for use on Vegetables since 2006 due to high residue levels in crops. (source-CIBRC)• CIBRC is Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee, which is

responsible for the registration of a particular pesticide.• But pesticide residues are still found in vegetables (WHO study 2007-

8)• MONOCROTOPHOS 36% SL Dosage prescriptions are mentioned on

the website of CIBRC (as on oct 2013) along with other pesticides and should be practiced accordingly.

Pesticide Residues and Food Contamination• Residues of pesticides may remain in treated products and get into human food chain.

These residues should not exceed a limit above which they may pose risks to human health.

• The concepts of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) and Theoretical Maximum Daily Intake (TMDI) for pesticides have been devised to keep a check on the pesticides’ residues in food chain and keep them within safe limits.

• Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) are the maximum residues of pesticides, which may be expected in a product treated with them, considering that Good Agricultural Practices have been followed.

• Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is the maximum intake of pesticide that can be tolerated from all dietary sources in a day without posing any chronic health risk.

• Theoretical Maximum Daily Intake (TMDI) is an estimate of the maximum intake of the pesticide with the existing MRLs for a person following a particular dietary practice.

Procedure for checking the suitability of a Pesticide.• The residue levels (MRLs) are set by supervised field trials for various

crops for which a pesticide has been registered for. (by CIBRC) • TMDI is calculated by estimating the total intake of pesticide from all

possible sources taking into account the MRLs that have been set. • ADI is determined from the available toxicological data and usually

involves finding the maximum dose that would produce no adverse effects in a lifetime. • If the TMDI is less than ADI, then the pesticide is declared suitable for

the agricultural use.• If the TMDI exceeds the ADI, the pesticide is declared unsuitable.

• Pesticide use in India is regulated by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The CIBRC registers pesticides for crops while the FSSAI sets the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of pesticides for the crops it has been registered for. • The MRLs for all registered pesticides should be set for all the crops

they have been registered for. So the co-functioning of both FSSAI and CIBRC is very much needed. A total of 243 pesticides have been registered by CIBRC. The MRLs of 59 pesticides have not been fixed by FSSAI and this creates problem for committees (eg. JPC) and other organisations for judging the harmfulness of the pesticides (as TMDI calculation depends on MRLs)

For checking the suitability of Monocrotophos usage, calculation of TMDI is considered:-• The TMDI was calculated by the standard formula used in the 1997

WHO recommendations for predicting the dietary intake of pesticides residues.• TMDI = MRL x F MRL= Maximum Residue Limit for a given food commodity (mg/Kg)F = daily intake of that commodity (Kg/day)So we will get TMDI in mg/day.

TMDI calculation for Monocrotophosfor food commodities as mentioned in NIN(National Institute of Nutrition)

• From the table we can see that TMDI = 0.169 mg/day which very high as compared to ADI (for adult) = 0.00774 mg/day (Source - Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR))• In the case of Monocrotophos TMDI is about 22 times more than the

required ADI limit which is not acceptable in any case, thus this calculation suggest that government of India should ban this pesticide • Calculations of TMDI for many other pesticides just like

Monocrotophos does not comply with their ADIs. And are still being used in our country. • FSSAI is formed in 2006 even after 7 years of its functioning MRLs for

all pesticides have not been set and moreover there is no review over existing MRLs which is strictly against the JPC recommendations.• Due to the carelessness of officials and their corrupt nexus with

industrialists, suffering of farmers is increasing.

Effect on Human Health

• Health effects are acutely toxic by all routes of exposure as it gets easily absorbed.• Acute toxicity • Signs and symptoms of poisoning include bloody or runny nose,

coughing, chest discomfort, difficulty breathing; pain in the eyes, tears, constriction of the pupils, and blurred vision; vomiting, diarrhea, headache, lack of coordination, loss of reflexes, weakness, fatigue, involuntary muscle contractions, and eventually paralysis of the body extremities and the respiratory muscles. • Respiratory failure or cardiac arrest may cause death.

Continued…..

• Chronic toxicity:• Neurotoxicity: like most organophosphates, it can cause neuro-behavioural

problems .• Cancer: although not classified as a carcinogen, there is evidence it is mutagenic,

has caused DNA damage,and the growth of human breast cancer cells. • Endocrine disruption: evidence of endocrine disruption in mice and fish,

including oestrogenicity.• Reproductive and developmental toxicity: decreased fertility, depressed

lactation; evidence of disruption of reproductive endocrine control in fish. • Immunotoxicity: immunotoxic in birds and rats; also toxic to human

lymphocytes.• Metabolic effects: repeated exposure may induce type II diabetes.

Poisonings (Accidental & Intentional)

• One of the main agents for farmer suicides in India, where the annual average reported cases was 17,366 in 2007, but thought to be up to 126,000 annually. (Source - WHO conducted health implications study)• Organophosphates cause depression and this is a major risk factor for

suicide. It is the most commonly consumed insecticide in India causing more than half of the deaths from pesticide poisoning in Andhra Pradesh.

Accidents caused due to Monocrotophos Poisoning in India• Bihar Incicident On 16 July 2013, at least 23 students died and

dozens more fell ill at a primary school in the village of Dharmashati Gandaman in the Saran district of the Indian state of Bihar after eating a Midday Meal contaminated with Monocrotophos Pesticide. • Many accidents and intentional poisoning from Monocrotophos has

occurred in the states where its usage is high. For eg. Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Warangal and Mahabubnagar, (Andhra Pradesh), Thanjavur, (Tamil Nadu), Manipal, (Karnataka),

Environmental and Agro-ecological Effects

• Toxicity and Agro-ecological disruption• Aquatic: very toxic to aquatic invertebrates;; toxic to shrimps and crabs;

moderately toxic to fish. • Birds: very toxic to birds; one of the most toxic insecticides for birds. • Mammals: Has caused significant damage to wildlife, particularly birds

and hares in Hungary• Bees: very toxic to honey bees.• Terrestrial invertebrates: very toxic to beneficial insects including

lacewings and other predators; not compatible with IPM (Integrated Pest Management).

continued……

• Soil organisms: moderately toxic to earthworms.• Resistance: at least 21 pests have developed resistance to

Monocrotophos, including cotton bollworm, diamondback moth, whitefly, brown plant hopper on rice, and house mosquito.• Ground Water Contamination: Monocrotophos is mobile in the soil

and thus in the leaching action it contaminates ground water.• Bio-accumulation: It is not bio-accumulative.

Metabolites Formed from parent Monocrotophos

Metabolite

Oral LD50

(mg/kg)

Description

N-methyl hydroxy monocrotophos LD50 = 27 mg/kg Toxic than parent pesticide

N-desmethyl monocrotophos LD50 = 5.5 mg/Kg

Glycoside of N-desmethyl monocrotophos LD50 = 168 mg/kg Toxic than parent pesticide

N-methyl acetoacetamide LD50 =2000 mg/kg Highly Toxic than parent pesticide

Monocrotophos (Parent Pesticide) LD50 = 14 mg/kg

• Here LD stands for "Lethal Dose". LD50 is the amount of a material, given all at once, which causes the death of 50% (one half) of a group of test animals. The LD50 is one way to measure the short-term poisoning potential (acute toxicity) of a material.• Toxicologists can use many kinds of animals but most often testing is done

with rats and mice. It is usually expressed as the amount of chemical administered (e.g., milligrams) per 100 grams (for smaller animals) or per kilogram (for bigger test subjects) of the body weight of the test animal.• From the table it is evident that N-methyl Acetoacetamide a metabolite of

Monocrotophos is around 150 times more toxic than the parent pesticide.

Remedies & Possible Substitution for this harmful pesticide.Crop/Situation Target Pests Alternative pesticidePaddy Stem borer Flubendiam,Methyl parathion, Phosalone , Chlorpyriphos

Hispa Lambdayhalothrin , Azadirachtin , Benfuracarb

apples & pears codling moth diazinon and methomyl

Bananas banana scab moth Chlorpyrifos, Oxydemeton methybeans: French bean fly dimethoate, endosulfan and permethrinCotton cotton tip worm Endosulfan, Methyl Parathion aphids Dimethoate and omethoate

cotton looper , mites dicofol, Thiamethoxammaize, millet, panicum, wheat spurthroated locust, migratory locust,

plague locustQuinalphos , Thiamethoxam , meton

Potatoes potato moth Chlorpyrifos, Carbosulfan Deltamethrin, Etophenprox Sorghum spurthroated locust fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos

carbamates, BT, alphamethrin

sweet corn budworm methomyl and alpha-fenvalerate (Budworm), no alternative for green vegetable bug, none for Budworm or green vegetable bug, it is reputedly the most effective of the remaining registered chemicals which provide adequate control of sucking insects on tobacco.

Tobacco Helicoverpa punctigera carbamates, dimethoate, methidathion

Tomatoes tomato russet mite dimethoate, endosulfan and omethoate (both forrotation), pyrethroids, chlorpyrifos, methomyl

Bioremediation

• There are some non-harmful and non-toxic ways for reducing the concentration of Monocrotophos. One such way is bioremediation.

• Bioremediation is a waste management technique that involves the use of organisms to remove, degrade, detoxify, transform, immobilize or stabilize toxic environment contaminants.

• Use of Bacteria - Arthrobacter atrocyaneus, Bacillus megaterium, and Pseudomonas mendocina. Fungi are also used.

Bioremediation strategies:• Addition of genetically modified organism• Use of indigenous microorganism• Biostimulation• Bioaugmentation• Phytoremediation

• Bioaugmentation is the practice of adding actively growing, specialized microbial strains into a microbial community in an effort to enhance the ability of the microbial community to respond to process fluctuations or to degrade certain compounds, resulting in improved treatment• Biostimulation involves the modification of the environment to stimulate existing

bacteria capable of bioremediation. This can be done by addition of various forms of rate limiting nutrients and electron acceptors, such as phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon• Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmenatal problems through the

use of plants that mitigate the environmental problem without the need to excavate the contaminant material and dispose of it elsewhere. Some of its advantages are:• the cost of the phytoremediation is lower than that of traditional processes • the plants can be easily monitored• the possibility of the recovery and re-use of valuable metal

Summary & Conclusion

• The decline in consumption of Monocrotophos seems to be related to other factors such as: • Concerns about operator safety and toxicity to birds and other non- target

species.• Incompatibility with the use of Integrated Pest Management strategies.• The long withholding period for some crops.• The availability of other effective, less hazardous and more cost effective

alternatives.• Phytotoxicity in some varieties of sorghum.• International pressure as WHO and FAO had recommended its ban. And many

countries like Nepal, Srilanka, USA, EU, Australia etc has banned it.

• In the case of Monocrotophos TMDI is about 22 times more than the required ADI limit which is not acceptable in any case thus for this calculation suggest that government of India should ban this pesticide in every domain of agriculture.• Calculations of TMDI for many other pesticides just like

Monocrotophos does not comply with their ADIs as suggested by CSE India

• Monocrotophos is a highly toxic pesticide. Metabolites generally formed from it are more toxic than the parent pesticide.• Remedies like substitution by other less hazardous pesticide can be

adopted as a short term solution. But for long term solution Biopesticides (eg. Neem) and other non-harmful pesticides should be researched so that there is no agro-ecological imbalance.

References

• Websites :-• http://cibrc.nic.in/• http://www.fao.org/• http://www.inchem.org/documents/jmpr/jmpmono/v072pr22.htm• http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Actives/monocrot.htm• reports • http://www.searo.who.int/entity/occupational_health/health_implications_f

rom_monocrotophos.pdf• Pesticide use and application: An Indian scenario P.C. Abhilash, Nandita Singh• http://www.groundwork.org.za/Resources/FactSheets/PAN%20AP/pesticides

-factsheet-hhps-monocrotophos.pdf