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The Environmentally Benign form of Pesticide in Hydrodispersive Nanometric form with Improved Efficacy Against Adult Mosquitoes at Low Exposure Concentrations

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Abstract

Permethrin, a poorly water-soluble synthetic pesticide belonging to the pyrethroid family, was formulated into water-dispersive nanometric form by rapid evaporation of pesticide loaded oil-in-water microemulsion. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of Nanopermethrin was found to be 199.01 ± 1.4 nm. The efficacy of the Nanopermethrin was comparatively investigated with its bulk form against 2–3 days old adult mosquitoes by WHO cone bioassay for 60 min. The median knockdown concentration of Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes albopictus were found to be 7.20 × 104, 7.53 × 104, 0.42 × 103 mg/L for Bulk permethrin, and 0.98 × 104, 1.17 × 104, 0.05 × 103 mg/L for Nanopermethrin, respectively. The obtained results extrapolate the improved efficacy of Nanopermethrin even at low-level concentrations. Hence, the formulated Nanopermethrin will serve as an effective alternative pesticide in controlling the mosquito population with reduced environmental toxicity.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Defence Research and Development Organization-Life Sciences Research Board (DLS/81/48222/LSRB-250/BTB/2012), Government of India for financial support and VIT University, Vellore for providing lab facilities. We acknowledge Dr. K. Gopalarathinam, Senior Entomologist, ZET, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India for his immense contribution in entomological studies.

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Correspondence to Natarajan Chandrasekaran.

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The institutional ethical clearance (IAEC) Ref No: VIT- IAEC-V was obtained from the Ethical Committee, VIT University for carrying out the bioefficacy studies of the nanoformulation.

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Authors declares that they have no conflict of the interest.

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Balaji, A.P.B., Mishra, P., Suresh Kumar, R.S. et al. The Environmentally Benign form of Pesticide in Hydrodispersive Nanometric form with Improved Efficacy Against Adult Mosquitoes at Low Exposure Concentrations. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 95, 734–739 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1661-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1661-y

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