Environmental Risk Index of the main insecticides used In the state of Mato Grosso

Mato Grosso is the largest consumer of pesticides in Brazil, and although their role in phytosanitary control is evident, environmental contamination is a concern due to their intensive use. Therefore, identifying the behavior of pesticides in the environment can assist in risk management, and the Environmental Risk Index (ERI) is an indirect way of knowing the potential of these compounds. This study was aimed at evaluating the ERI of the most sold insecticides in Mato Grosso used for the control of lepidopteran pests. The parameters evaluated were persistence in the soil, leaching, volatility, toxicological profile and recommended dose. Our findings reported on 24 insecticides, which totaled an annual amount of 23,046,348 kg of active ingredients, with acephate at the top of the ranking with 8,974,413 kg sold in 2020. This insecticide, despite being widely used, had the lowest ERI due to low persistence, leaching and volatility, and its critical factor was animal toxicity. Malathion, methoxyphenozide, chlorantraniliprole, flubendiamide, and beta-cyfluthrin had the highest ERI, with toxicological profile and persistence in the environment as critical factors. In general, all compounds exhibited medium to very high levels of toxicity, indicating the need to manage risks associated with insecticide use and select those with lower impact, to minimize damage to agroecosystems.