Pesticides in the urban environment: A potential threat that knocks at the door

Abstract

Pesticides play a pivotal role in controlling pests and disease infestations not only in urban agriculture but also in non-agricultural settings. Several pesticides like herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, etc. are applied unintentionally at higher concentrations even in small urban areas such as lawns, gardens and impermeable surfaces. Consequent to their indiscriminate use, both extensively and intensively, in the urban areas, contamination of pesticides poses a serious threat to the environment, living organisms and food safety. Although the fate and ecological effects of pesticides and their residues have been thoroughly understood in agricultural soils, information available in the literature on the impact of these contaminants in the urban environment is very limited and fragmentary. In fact, the fate and behaviour of pesticide residues in the urban environment are distinct from those in other ecosystems since the soils in urban areas greatly vary in their physico-chemical properties. Development of sustainable and eco-friendly approaches for remediation of even urban soils contaminated with pesticides is therefore greatly warranted. Thus, the present critical review is the first single source that provides updated knowledge on the sources, nature and extent of pesticide pollution in the urban environment, and the ecological and human health effects of pesticides and their residues. The potential of nano-encapsulation of pesticides for their application in urban settings has also been discussed.

Keywords: Fate of pesticides in urban soils; Human and environmental health; Pesticide residues and food safety; Pesticides use; Urban environment.