title: Terrestrial short-term ecotoxicity of a green formicide.
abstract: When ants become annoying, large quantities of formicide are applied to terrestrial ecosystems in tropical regions, but awareness of the health and environmental impacts related to the use of synthetic pesticides has been increasing. The use of green pesticides to combat target organisms could reduce these impacts. In this regard, terrestrial ecotoxicity tests with higher plants (Brassica olaracea, Lactuca sativa and Mucuna aterrima), annelids (Eisenia foetida), Collembola (Folsomia candida) and soil enzyme activity analysis (diacetate fluorescein hydrolysis) were used to evaluate short-term terrestrial ecotoxicity of a green pesticide prepared from naturally-occurring organic compounds. At the highest formicide concentration tested in these experiments (i.e., 50 g kg(-1) soil) no toxicity toward terrestrial organisms was observed. The lack of short-term terrestrial ecotoxicity suggest that this green formicide can be classed as an environmentally friendly product as compared to the ecotoxicity of the most commonly used commercialized formicides.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Vale do Itajaí Laboratório de Remediação Ambiental Rua Uruguai, 458 Itajaí SC 88302-202, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erasmo N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Tiepo
authors.forename: Albertina X R
authors.initials: AX
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.forename: Charrid
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Resgalla
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cotelle
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Férard
authors.forename: Claudemir M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Radetski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000187:drug effects*; D001937:Brassica / Q000187:drug effects; D002110:Caffeine / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000633:toxicity*; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D018545:Lactuca / Q000187:drug effects; D031299:Mucuna / Q000187:drug effects; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects*; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D007306:Insecticides; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002110:Caffeine