Brazilian scientists question the environmental friendliness of "green pesticides," suggesting manufacturers review formulations.

With the emergence of new nanopesticide formulations with natural ingredients in agriculture, the term "green pesticide" has begun to be actively used. However, there is no consensus on what a green pesticide actually is. And often the term is used even when the active ingredients of the preparations are of synthetic origin. This problem was outlined by Doctor of Natural Sciences Vanessa Takeshita from the State University of São Paulo (Brazil) in her review on the subject. Writes eurasiareview.com. She explains that conventional pesticide formulations are mixtures of ingredients such as the active substance of the preparation and co-formulants (surfactant, emulsifier), which make up 50% to 90% of the total composition of commercial products, but are often vaguely referred to as "inert compounds," although sometimes they can be more toxic to the environment than the active substance itself. Thus, sometimes the polymers and active substances of the "ecological" pesticide are ...