Toxicological effects of agricultural pesticides on aquatic ecosystems: A review

Document Type : Reviewers

Authors

1 Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hourani Center for Applied Scientific Research, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan

2 Department of Chemistry and Biology, Termez State Pedagogical Institute, Termez, Uzbekistan

3 Department of Health Care Management, Samarkand State Medical University, Samarkand Uzbekistan

4 Department of Biological Sciences, National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan named after Nizami, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

5 Department of Medical Laboratory Technics, College of Health and Medical Technology, Alnoor University ,mosul, Iraq

6 Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq

7 Centre for Research Impact & Outcome, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura, 140401, Punjab, India

8 Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India

Abstract

Aquatic ecosystems are at serious risk due to the global contamination of surface waters sediments and biota caused by agricultural pesticides. The results of 27 original studies (2011–2026) from a variety of geographical areas including North America Europe Asia Africa Latin America and the Amazon are summarized in this review. In agricultural and periurban sites pesticides were found in 88–100% of samples often surpassing both acute and chronic toxicity thresholds (e.g., RAC exceedances in 70% of protected German streams, PTI > 0.1 in 69.4% of USA sites, and RQ > 100 for organophosphates in Ethiopian lakes). Risk profiles were dominated by neonicotinoids organophosphates pyrethroids and legacy compounds (fipronil chlorpyrifos) with insecticides typically causing acute toxicity and herbicides and fungicides causing long-term effects. When only water is monitored risks are underestimated because strong sorption to periphyton and sediment creates prolonged exposure routes. Consistent shifts toward tolerant taxa were observed in aquatic invertebrate communities (e.g., Chironomidae dominance, decreased richness), impaired ecosystem processes like leaf-litter decomposition and almost no sensitive mayflies or stoneflies. At environmentally relevant concentrations fish showed developmental toxicity (oedema deformities delayed hatching apoptosis) and immunotoxicity (activation of the JAK-STAT pathway). Non-additive results were frequently produced by mixture effects and multi-stressor interactions (nutrients sediment fungicides) with regional variations clearly visible (e.g., greater resistance to pyrethroids in the tropics). In general agricultural intensification puts aquatic biota under constant widespread pesticide pressure which has a domino effect on food webs and ecosystem stability. Stricter riparian buffers updated registration of highly hazardous compounds and improved monitoring of sediments transformation products and body burdens are desperately needed.

Keywords

References

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Caspian Journal of Environmental Sciences
Volume 24, Issue 2
April 2026
Pages 583-593

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