Environmental behaviors and ecotoxicity of imidaclothiz: a comprehensive review on fate, degradation processes, and ecological risks

TL;DR

This paper reviews the environmental persistence, degradation, and ecological risks of the pesticide imidaclothiz, highlighting gaps in understanding and the need for sustainable management.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of imidaclothiz's environmental behavior and ecotoxicity, emphasizing the lack of systematic studies on its microbial degradation and transformation products.

Findings

Imidaclothiz is widely used in agriculture but persists in the environment, posing risks to non-target organisms.

Microbial degradation and chemical pathways are key to mitigating imidaclothiz's environmental impact.

Current research on imidaclothiz is limited, with few identified microorganisms and enzymes involved in its degradation.

Abstract

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs) are among the most widely used pesticide classes globally, primarily applied to control crop pests and vector plant pathogens. As a fourth-generation NEO, imidaclothiz (IMT) has seen rapidly expanding agricultural use across Asia—particularly in China—in recent years. However, increasing evidence highlights the persistence of NEO residues in the environment and their toxic effects on non-target organisms. The frequent detection of NEOs in aquatic systems indicates growing contamination that may pose significant risks to human and ecosystem health. Microbial degradation, alongside chemical pathways, plays a crucial role in mitigating the environmental impacts of these pesticides, with microbial remediation emerging as a promising ecological strategy. Nevertheless, current research on IMT remains limited: only a few IMT-degrading microorganisms and key metabolic enzymes (e.g., cytochrome P450s, manganese peroxidases) have been identified, and systematic mechanistic studies are largely lacking. Moreover, the ecotoxicity effects of IMT and its environmental transformation products—particularly their broader ecological implications—are poorly synthesized and insufficiently understood. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the environmental behavior, degradation mechanisms, and ecotoxicity impacts of IMT, offering critical insights into the multiscale environmental risks of NEOs and supporting future ecological risk assessments and sustainable pesticide management.

Diagram illustrating the environmental and biological impact of imidacloprid (IMT). The graphic shows photolysis, hydrolysis, and degradation pathways of IMT and its metabolites in soil and water. Includes interactions with plants, insects, and animals, and highlights maternal-fetal transfer and neural impacts. Different elements like sunlight, chemical structures, and affected organisms are depicted, emphasizing the extensive effects of IMT in ecosystems.

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