Abstract
Pesticides are an essential tool in integrated pest management. Nanopermethrin was prepared by solvent evaporation from an oil-in-water volatile microemulsion. The efficacy of the formulated nanopermethrin was tested against Aedes aegypti and the results compared to those of regular, microparticular permethrin. The 24 h LC50 for nanopermethrin and permethrin was found to be 0.0063 and 0.0199 mg/L, respectively. The formulated nanopermethrin was tested for toxicity against non-target organisms. Nanopermethrin did not show antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 13534 and 25922) or against Bacillus subtilis. Phytotoxicity studies of nanopermethrin to the seeds of Lycopersicum esculentum, Cucumis sativus, and Zea mays showed no restraint in root length and germination percentage. In the Allium cepa test, regular microparticular permethrin treatment of 0.13 mg/L showed a mitotic index (MI) of 46.8 % and chromosomal aberration of 0.6 %, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05) compared to control. No significant differences were observed in 0.13 mg/L nanopermethrin exposure as compared to control (MI of 52.0 and 55.03 % and chromosomal aberration of 0.2 and 0 %, respectively). It was concluded that formulated nanopermethrin can be used as a safe and effectual alternative to commercially available permethrin formulation in agricultural practices.
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Acknowledgments
The authors strongly acknowledge Mr. Rajagopal, Senior Entomologist, Zonal Entomological Research Laboratory, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, for identifying A. aegypti mosquito larvae and Dr. Inna Popov, head of the Unit for Nanocharacterization, Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for her influence in TEM characterization.
Declaration of interest
The authors are grateful to the Management of VIT University for providing the laboratory facilities. The authors are thankful for the financial support from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR- 70/(0068)/11/EMR-II), India.
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Suresh Kumar, R.S., Shiny, P.J., Anjali, C.H. et al. Distinctive effects of nano-sized permethrin in the environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 2593–2602 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1161-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1161-0