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The Toxicology and Risk Assessment of Agricultural Runoff and Aquaculture Pollution

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Agriculture and Aquaculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2025) | Viewed by 13278

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
Interests: environmental pollution; water quality; water analysis; wastewater treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food production needs to increase worldwide to accommodate a growing human population confronted with climate change. One challenge has been to protect freshwater and marine systems from water pollution generated by agriculture and aquaculture.  Contamination of our waterways impacts human and ecosystem health. Pollution includes changes in general water quality parameters as well as specific organic or inorganic contaminants. Pollution also includes microbes such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria transferred to the environment from agriculture and aquaculture.

Agricultural runoff from animal feed lots and farms can carry pesticides, veterinary medicines, particles, and fertilizers, which contaminate surface waters and groundwater. Nutrient waste containing nitrogen and phosphorus can trigger algal blooms, some of which generate toxicants.

Pond aquaculture and open-net pens can contribute to water pollution in the form of nutrient waste produced by the farmed species. In addition, biocides and chemicals used to treat the water in which the fish or shellfish are grown can leach into the environment. In one type of aquaculture, raceways divert flowing water from natural streams in order to raise trout. Each method of aquaculture has different risks to the environment from a pollution standpoint.

We would like to invite authors to submit their original research or review papers on the toxicology and risk assessment of aquaculture pollution and agricultural runoff. Subtopic examples include the occurrence, fate (e.g., transformations, body burden, bioaccumulation, biomagnification), and effects of pollutants from agricultural runoff or aquaculture to the ecosystem and human health; biomarkers of exposure and exposure pathways; probabilistic risk assessment for chemicals entering the environment; and case studies which can include mitigation strategies.

Dr. Linda Schweitzer
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • aquaculture
  • aquaculture pollution
  • toxicology
  • risk assessment
  • water quality

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3001 KB  
Article
Possible Effects of Pesticide Washout on Microalgae Growth
by Agnes Nadudvari, Michael Schagerl and Shiela Mae Ancheta
Water 2025, 17(18), 2716; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17182716 - 13 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1022
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are threatened by various anthropogenic activities, including those exacerbated by pesticides leaching from agricultural lands. Although legislation and regulations regarding pesticides aim to eliminate the risk of eutrophication and pollution, only a few studies have examined the impact of these substances [...] Read more.
Aquatic ecosystems are threatened by various anthropogenic activities, including those exacerbated by pesticides leaching from agricultural lands. Although legislation and regulations regarding pesticides aim to eliminate the risk of eutrophication and pollution, only a few studies have examined the impact of these substances on non-target organisms, such as microalgae, which are highly involved in biogeochemical cycles and critical for ecosystem integrity. We studied the effect of the agricultural insecticide Teppeki based on flonicamid, the fungicide Ortiva with azoxystrobin, and the herbicide Basar with (S)-metolachlor on the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the cyanobacterium Synechococcus leopoliensis. Ortiva and Basar were more toxic at lower doses than Teppeki, with (S)-metolachlor demonstrating the most instantaneous and potent inhibition. Half maximum effective concentration (EC50) values confirmed the strong inhibitory effect of the herbicide on both strains on days 3 and 8, and highlight the differing temporal responses, especially for Ortiva. This observed pattern of toxicity is consistent with pulse-amplitude-modulated fluorescence measurements of photosystem II, which indicate that both species are more sensitive to (S)-metolachlor and azoxystrobin than to flonicamid. We claim that the side effects of pesticides on non-target organisms must be given more attention. It is well established that herbicides can impair photosynthetic organisms such as microalgae, but pesticides targeting other pests can also cause adverse effects on these communities. Such unwanted side effects are directly related not only to the reduction of biodiversity, but also to human health. Full article
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Review

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25 pages, 3248 KB  
Review
Nutrient Water Pollution from Unsustainable Patterns of Agricultural Systems, Effects and Measures of Integrated Farming
by Roxana Maria Madjar, Gina Vasile Scăețeanu and Mirela Alina Sandu
Water 2024, 16(21), 3146; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16213146 - 3 Nov 2024
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 11704
Abstract
Nowadays, agricultural practices require special attention due to their important contribution to water pollution, the more so as they are associated with environmental and health impairments. Despite legislation addressing nutrient pollution, there are still high levels of nutrients in water bodies, as evidenced [...] Read more.
Nowadays, agricultural practices require special attention due to their important contribution to water pollution, the more so as they are associated with environmental and health impairments. Despite legislation addressing nutrient pollution, there are still high levels of nutrients in water bodies, as evidenced by the results identified in the literature. Among nutrients of environmental concern identified in water and associated with agricultural practices are nitrogen and phosphorus. When applied in excess under fertilizer form, these nutrients accumulate in water bodies with consequences such as eutrophication or human health impairments if water is used for drinking. The purpose of this review paper is to present the current state of nutrient water pollution generated by unsustainable agricultural practices. In addition, are presented the main legislative regulations addressing water quality imposed by the European Union, are described aspects related to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from agriculture, and levels of nutrients in water bodies from different European countries. Also, effects of agricultural pollution on the environment and humans are discussed, and possible strategies that could be employed to decrease or prevent water pollution are reviewed. Full article
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