Nanotech pesticides may do harm

Nanotechnology is defined as the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres (nm), according to the National Nanotechnology Institute. While it is in use in many products, nanotechnology is now being introduced into agriculture.

In the latest research, published in The Conversation, a group of professors from Leidon University in the Netherlands show that it can help farmers to cut the usage of pesticides, but it comes at a great cost. The group who also partnered with environmental scientists said that nanomaterials might do more harm than good.

According to their paper, pesticide products based on nanoscale materials, which is nano-enabled pesticides, are the latest technology promising new solutions for the protection of crops at minimal risk to the environment.

In the research they analysed nanoenabled pesticides that could make pesticides stick or adhere better to crops. The researchers showed that, while this may seem like a benefit, reducing the volume is not the solution. “To illustrate, nano-enabled pesticides that are more readily taken up in the tissues of targeted pests can often be assumed to be more readily taken up by other organisms as well,” they said.

“Similarly, using nanoscale carriers to extend the durability of pesticides after application also increases the time pesticides will pollute the soil and freshwater.” The researchers are urging farmers to use the products with caution as they are already available in the market in Canada and the US. –