Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research?

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the direct and indirect effects of neonicotinoid pesticides (NEO-P) within African agricultural ecosystems and identifies research gaps, particularly in the monitoring and regulation of pesticide use. We observed a decline in the numbers of NEO-P stud...

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Main Authors: Orikpete, O.F., Kikanme, K.N., Falade, T.D.O., Dennis, N.M., Ewim, D.R.E., Fadare, O.O.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173603
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author Orikpete, O.F.
Kikanme, K.N.
Falade, T.D.O.
Dennis, N.M.
Ewim, D.R.E.
Fadare, O.O.
author_browse Dennis, N.M.
Ewim, D.R.E.
Fadare, O.O.
Falade, T.D.O.
Kikanme, K.N.
Orikpete, O.F.
author_facet Orikpete, O.F.
Kikanme, K.N.
Falade, T.D.O.
Dennis, N.M.
Ewim, D.R.E.
Fadare, O.O.
author_sort Orikpete, O.F.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This review provides a comprehensive overview of the direct and indirect effects of neonicotinoid pesticides (NEO-P) within African agricultural ecosystems and identifies research gaps, particularly in the monitoring and regulation of pesticide use. We observed a decline in the numbers of NEO-P studies conducted in Africa since 2019 with 40.7% of the countries reporting at least one study to date. Imidacloprid (33.5%), acetamiprid (23.3%), and thiamethoxam (25.0%) are the most reported NEO-P across the continent with concentrations range from 9.0 × 10−5 to 7.2 × 107 mg kg−1, 1.7 × 10−5 to 2.1 × 103 mg kg−1, and 1.0 × 10−5 to 4.7 × 104 mg kg−1, respectively. NEO-P have been reported in honey, water, vegetables, fruits, and staple foods in most countries and in 92–100% of human urine samples collected in Ghana and Cameroon. This widespread presence indicates a potential food safety and public health concern, warranting further study. Studies on NEO-P interactions with bees have emanated mainly from North Africa (35.3% published studies) while Central/Middle, and Southern Africa accounted for 11.8% each of these studies, all of which were conducted in Cameroon and South Africa, respectively. It is important to have contextual evidence to understand neonicotinoids-pollinator interactions across specific African regions and countries; however, literature regarding the extent of NEO-P toxicities/effects on pollinators is required in 44 African countries. The environmental persistence of NEO-P and their broad-spectrum impact necessitate a re-evaluation of current regulatory practices and adoption of more sustainable pest management strategies across the continent. Furthermore, future studies should focus on investigating the long-term exposure to NEO-P, advanced computational methods in ecological risk assessments and eco-friendly alternatives to NEO-P.
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spelling CGSpace1736032025-10-26T12:55:07Z Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research? Orikpete, O.F. Kikanme, K.N. Falade, T.D.O. Dennis, N.M. Ewim, D.R.E. Fadare, O.O. pesticides neonicotinoid african agriculture This review provides a comprehensive overview of the direct and indirect effects of neonicotinoid pesticides (NEO-P) within African agricultural ecosystems and identifies research gaps, particularly in the monitoring and regulation of pesticide use. We observed a decline in the numbers of NEO-P studies conducted in Africa since 2019 with 40.7% of the countries reporting at least one study to date. Imidacloprid (33.5%), acetamiprid (23.3%), and thiamethoxam (25.0%) are the most reported NEO-P across the continent with concentrations range from 9.0 × 10−5 to 7.2 × 107 mg kg−1, 1.7 × 10−5 to 2.1 × 103 mg kg−1, and 1.0 × 10−5 to 4.7 × 104 mg kg−1, respectively. NEO-P have been reported in honey, water, vegetables, fruits, and staple foods in most countries and in 92–100% of human urine samples collected in Ghana and Cameroon. This widespread presence indicates a potential food safety and public health concern, warranting further study. Studies on NEO-P interactions with bees have emanated mainly from North Africa (35.3% published studies) while Central/Middle, and Southern Africa accounted for 11.8% each of these studies, all of which were conducted in Cameroon and South Africa, respectively. It is important to have contextual evidence to understand neonicotinoids-pollinator interactions across specific African regions and countries; however, literature regarding the extent of NEO-P toxicities/effects on pollinators is required in 44 African countries. The environmental persistence of NEO-P and their broad-spectrum impact necessitate a re-evaluation of current regulatory practices and adoption of more sustainable pest management strategies across the continent. Furthermore, future studies should focus on investigating the long-term exposure to NEO-P, advanced computational methods in ecological risk assessments and eco-friendly alternatives to NEO-P. 2025-03 2025-03-13T10:14:25Z 2025-03-13T10:14:25Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173603 en Limited Access Elsevier Orikpete, O.F., Kikanme, K.N., Falade, T.D., Dennis, N.M., Ewim, D.R.E., & Fadare, O.O. (2025). Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research? Chemosphere, 372, 144057.
spellingShingle pesticides
neonicotinoid
african
agriculture
Orikpete, O.F.
Kikanme, K.N.
Falade, T.D.O.
Dennis, N.M.
Ewim, D.R.E.
Fadare, O.O.
Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research?
title Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research?
title_full Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research?
title_fullStr Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research?
title_full_unstemmed Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research?
title_short Neonicotinoid pesticides in African agriculture: what do we know and what should be the focus for future research?
title_sort neonicotinoid pesticides in african agriculture what do we know and what should be the focus for future research
topic pesticides
neonicotinoid
african
agriculture
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/173603
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