Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling
Abstract Pesticides applied worldwide to meet food demand is recognized as a key threat to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. Studies on pesticide risks employ different ingredients, methods or specific environments, which makes it difficult to quantify the scale of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-11-01
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| Series: | npj Clean Water |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-022-00202-0 |
| _version_ | 1811233771918196736 |
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| author | Ziqi Zhang Xiaoman Yan Kevin C. Jones Cong Jiao Cheng Sun Yong Liu Ying Zhu Qianqian Zhang Limei Zhai Zhenyao Shen Lei Chen |
| author_facet | Ziqi Zhang Xiaoman Yan Kevin C. Jones Cong Jiao Cheng Sun Yong Liu Ying Zhu Qianqian Zhang Limei Zhai Zhenyao Shen Lei Chen |
| author_sort | Ziqi Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Pesticides applied worldwide to meet food demand is recognized as a key threat to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. Studies on pesticide risks employ different ingredients, methods or specific environments, which makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem. Furthermore, the complex influences and hotspots of long-term pesticide usage remain unclear. Herein, we present a national-scale study of four typical pesticides in China, the world’s largest pesticide user. The spatiotemporal changes in legacy and risk of pesticides over 30 years were analyzed using a modified fugacity model approach coupled with comprehensive ingredient database. Pesticide risk in mainland China might last until 2075 due to the previous legacy, although the usage has declined since 2014. The use of target pesticides was estimated as 2.38 × 105 tonnes in 2017, and about 6.59 × 103 tonnes discharged into the ocean from major basins. Risk areas expanded from 47% in 1991 to 79% in 2017, with 30% at high risk. Of the risk areas, 31% were highly populated while 3% had high biodiversity. 7% of mainland China suffered from both limited water resource and high pesticide risk. It is shown that the improper substitution with lower toxicity pesticides would make the proportion of high-risk regions unexpectedly increased from 18% to 44% due to the longer half-lives of the alternatives. Pesticides pose risks to environmental and human health, and the tailored assessment tool will be vital in contributing towards future pesticide management and meeting sustainability targets in China. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:25:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b1767e57cf5403890ae04e755a6cb67 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2059-7037 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T11:25:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Clean Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b1767e57cf5403890ae04e755a6cb672022-12-22T03:35:15ZengNature Portfolionpj Clean Water2059-70372022-11-015111010.1038/s41545-022-00202-0Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modelingZiqi Zhang0Xiaoman Yan1Kevin C. Jones2Cong Jiao3Cheng Sun4Yong Liu5Ying Zhu6Qianqian Zhang7Limei Zhai8Zhenyao Shen9Lei Chen10State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal UniversityLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking UniversitySchool of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversitySchool of Environment, South China Normal UniversityInstitute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Non-point Source Pollution Control, Ministry of AgricultureState Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal UniversityState Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal UniversityAbstract Pesticides applied worldwide to meet food demand is recognized as a key threat to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. Studies on pesticide risks employ different ingredients, methods or specific environments, which makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem. Furthermore, the complex influences and hotspots of long-term pesticide usage remain unclear. Herein, we present a national-scale study of four typical pesticides in China, the world’s largest pesticide user. The spatiotemporal changes in legacy and risk of pesticides over 30 years were analyzed using a modified fugacity model approach coupled with comprehensive ingredient database. Pesticide risk in mainland China might last until 2075 due to the previous legacy, although the usage has declined since 2014. The use of target pesticides was estimated as 2.38 × 105 tonnes in 2017, and about 6.59 × 103 tonnes discharged into the ocean from major basins. Risk areas expanded from 47% in 1991 to 79% in 2017, with 30% at high risk. Of the risk areas, 31% were highly populated while 3% had high biodiversity. 7% of mainland China suffered from both limited water resource and high pesticide risk. It is shown that the improper substitution with lower toxicity pesticides would make the proportion of high-risk regions unexpectedly increased from 18% to 44% due to the longer half-lives of the alternatives. Pesticides pose risks to environmental and human health, and the tailored assessment tool will be vital in contributing towards future pesticide management and meeting sustainability targets in China.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-022-00202-0 |
| spellingShingle | Ziqi Zhang Xiaoman Yan Kevin C. Jones Cong Jiao Cheng Sun Yong Liu Ying Zhu Qianqian Zhang Limei Zhai Zhenyao Shen Lei Chen Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling npj Clean Water |
| title | Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling |
| title_full | Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling |
| title_fullStr | Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling |
| title_short | Pesticide risk constraints to achieving Sustainable Development Goals in China based on national modeling |
| title_sort | pesticide risk constraints to achieving sustainable development goals in china based on national modeling |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-022-00202-0 |
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