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Chiral Pesticides: Identification, Description, and Environmental Implications

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Book cover Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 217

Part of the book series: Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ((RECT,volume 217))

Abstract

Anthropogenic chemicals, including pesticides, are a major source of contamination and pollution in the environment. Pesticides have many positive uses: increased food production, decreased damage to crops and structures, reduced disease vector populations, and more. Nevertheless, pesticide exposure can pose risks to humans and the environment, so various mitigation strategies are exercised to make them safer, minimize their use, and reduce their unintended environment effects. One strategy that may help achieve these goals relies on the unique properties of chirality or molecular asymmetry. Some common terms related to chirality are defined in Table 1.

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Acknowledgments and Disclaimer

The authors wish to thank Wayne Garrison (US EPA) and Steve McCall (BASF Corp.) for valuable technical review comments. This review was conceived during a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship (E.M.U.) with financial support provided by the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology and National Water-Quality Assessment Programs. The United States Environmental Protection Agency through its Office of Research and Development funded and managed additional research under contract number EP08D000135 (C.N.M.). This document has been subjected to review and approved for publication by the US EPA and USGS. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 109 T.W. Alexander Dr., Maildrop D205-05, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA

    Elin M. Ulrich

  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 109 T.W. Alexander Dr., Maildrop E205-01, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA

    Michael R. Goldsmith

  3. Student Contractor to the U.S. EPA, Asheville, USA

    Candice N. Morrison

  4. Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, 210038, Tuscon, AZ, 85721-0038, USA

    Candice N. Morrison

  5. U.S. Geological Survey, National Water Quality Laboratory, 25585, Denver, CO, 80225-0585, USA

    William T. Foreman

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  1. Elin M. Ulrich
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  2. Candice N. Morrison
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Correspondence to Elin M. Ulrich .

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Ulrich, E.M., Morrison, C.N., Goldsmith, M.R., Foreman, W.T. (2012). Chiral Pesticides: Identification, Description, and Environmental Implications. In: Whitacre, D. (eds) Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 217. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, vol 217. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2329-4_1

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