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Abstract

The potential benefits of nanopesticide use over standard pesticides include more precise application at reduced application rates, lower premature degradation, and decreased direct impacts to target organisms. However, field scale investigations of the fate and transport of common nanopesticides such as copper (II) hydroxide and imidacloprid combinations, remain limited. A field study evaluating nano-scale copper (II) hydroxide (Cu), standard imidacloprid (I), nanoimidicloprid (NI), and nano-scale copper (II) hydroxide and imidacloprid (CuNI) compared to control (C) plots was conducted using thirty 14.6 m2 field plots to determine the impacts of nanopesticide applications on nutrient cycling and quantify the persistence of copper (II) hydroxide in soil and surface runoff during the growing season. Soil samples were taken at the beginning and end of the growing season, while water quality runoff samples were collected following eleven rainfall events. Ammonium concentrations in runoff decreased in CuNI plots by 1.74 mg N/L, while total nitrogen concentrations in runoff increased by 1.29 mg N/L in Cu plots compared to CuNI plots. Runoff orthophosphate concentrations decreased in CuNI treatments compared to all other pesticide treatments by 1.37, 1.32, and 1.30 mg P/L in Cu, I, and NI plots, respectively. Significant increases in soil copper concentrations were also observed in all plots receiving Cu. These findings emphasize the potential biogeochemical implications of using these nanopesticides on nutrient cycling in agroecosystems.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Notes/Citation Information

© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13090758

Funding Information

This project was supported by USDA-NIFA Accession No. 1025426, U.S. Hatch multistate capacity funding grant No. W-4045, and the Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention Grant No. 5U54OH007547. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS or USDA. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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