No 3 (2020)

In order to overcome resistance to individual pesticides and improve their effectiveness, formulations containing two or more active substances are constantly being developed and put on the market over recent years. Mixtures of residual amounts of pesticides can be present in water and food and enter the human and animal bodies. However, the combined effect of pesticides on living organisms, including genetic structures in cells, has not been studied enough and it is not yet possible to predict the genotoxic effects of their mixtures based on available data.
The purpose of this review was to collect and summarize literature information on the genotoxicity of pesticide combinations obtained at different objects. The results of studies conducted in different countries of the world are discussed, examples of detected synergistic, additive and antagonistic effects are given, indicating the need for testing the genotoxicity of preparative forms of pesticides containing several active substances, as well as mixtures of jointly used pesticides in order to ensure the safe use of pesticides for public health.

It has been shown that hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen and shungite affect the development of the population of cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in different directions. The growth of cyanobacteria culture slows down in the presence of photosensitizer and hydrogen peroxide. In this case, the number of cells depends on the amount of shungite in the environment. Cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 grow better in the presence of 10 g/L shungite, but growth is suppressed at 100 g/L. Shungite at 10 g/L protectes cultures from the toxic effects of Bengal pink and hydrogen peroxide, which was determined by the level of photosynthesis efficiency and cell amounts. The growth of Anabaena variabilis (in terms of optical density at 680 nm) has been found to slow down in the presence of only hydrogen peroxide relative to the control. The growth of Anabaena variabilis in the presence of shungite and hydrogen peroxide is restored to the level of control samples. The number of cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells slows down significantly in the presence of singlet oxygen. Being combined with singlet oxygen, shungite partially inactivates the action of Bengal pink. At the end of the experiment, the growth of the culture is restored to 60% compared to the control. A similar relationship is observed when evaluating the effectiveness of photosynthesis of cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Thus, singlet oxygen is more toxic than hydrogen peroxide. This may be due to different mechanisms of action of hydrogen peroxide and singlet oxygen on cyanobacteria growth. Depending on the content in the water, shungite can stimulate or inhibit the growth of cyanobacteria cells, inactivate the action of a toxicant.

Accidents at industrial facilities that use phosgene as a feedstock for the synthesis of chemical compounds can become a source of formation of a persistent focus of chemical contamination. Phosgene has an acylating effect on the macromolecules of the components of the aerogematic barrier, which leads to the development of toxic pulmonary edema. To date, it is not known which component of the aerogematic barrier (surfactant layer, alveolocytes or endotheliocytes) serves as the primary target for this toxicant. It has been found in vitro that the action of phosgene on the surfactant (Biosurf Ltd., Russian Federation) did not lead to a decrease in the content of main phospholipids (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine), but contributed to an increase in the content of compounds from the group of lysophosphatidylethanolamines (proinflammatory agents). In in vivo study with intraperitoneal administration of phosgene to laboratory animals (rats), there were no signs of an inflammatory reaction of the components of the mesentery of the small intestine. Pathological changes in the lungs and liver of animals that received phosgene intraperitoneal were also not detected.
The results of the study indicate that endotheliocytes located in the aerogematic barrier do not play a leading role in the initiation of a proinflammatory cascade in lung tissues after inhaled exposure to phosgene. The primary sources of proinflammatory mediators that lead to the development of toxic pulmonary edema may be alveolocytes and/or surfactant components.

The article provides an overview of the main directions of development of EU legislation in the field of pesticides regulation. Special attention is paid to the problems of neonicotinoids, glyphosate, endocrine disruptors, and food quality control for the content of residual amounts of pesticides.

The article is devoted to the study of the nature of the toxic effects of a new complex organic mineral fertilizer on the organism of laboratory animals. The assessment of its toxicity and hazard has been performed with the definition of acute and subacute toxicity parameters, as well as irritant effect on skin and mucous membranes, sensitizing and cumulative effects.