The Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticide/Thiamethoxamin on Environmental and Aquatic Ecosystems

Abstract

Pesticides are chemical mixtures developed to target certain organisms, kill them, control or
reduce their damage. Insecticides can be classified as subgroups of pesticides. In this study, the effects of
neonicotinoid insecticides and thiamethoxam, a derivative of neonicotinoid, on aquatic ecosystem were
investigated. Pesticides are frequently used in the agriculture and food industry, and their unusual use poses
a threat to the lives of creatures that are not a target in the ecosystem. Although they are used in small
amounts, neonicotinoid-derived drugs also pose a threat to human health because they accumulate in the
central nervous system and cause chronic poisoning. Similarly, as a result of industrial waste or excessive
use in agriculture, the residues of these pesticides mix with the nature and cause deterioration of the aquatic
ecosystem. Though its high volatility and low concentration in water pose little threat to aquatic organisms,
its absorption and storage in the fat tissues of these organisms that human consume as food leads to toxicity
to human health. Therefore, the definition, classification, properties and effects of pesticides were
investigated in detail.