Assessing the Net Benefits of Organic Farming interventions in Ecosystem Preservation against Emerging Pesticides

Abstract

Organic farming practices are generally considered potential countermeasures against pesticide exposure in human populations. However, little is known if current organic interventional measures adopted in Japan can mitigate neonicotinoid (NNI) exposures or otherwise. The current validates the efficacies of organic dietary interventions in ameliorating NNIs exposures within the Japanese population. Firstly, 103 Japanese volunteers were recruited and fed strictly with either organic diets for 5 or 30 days or with conventional diets. Then the exposure rates of 8 NNIs were determined in the population, by LC-MS/MS analysis. After analysis, 8 NNIs were detected in the target population; but the detection rates were far lower in the organic diet consumers compared to conventional diet consumers. The organic dietary intervention drastically reduced the cumulative levels and the daily intake rates of NNIs in the Japanese population. Subsequently, the residual levels of NNIs were determined in organic and conventional green tea leaves produced in Japan. Seven NNIs compounds and one NNI metabolite were detected in tea leaves cultivated by strict organic farming methods. However, the detection rates of NNIs were relatively lower in organic tea leaves than conventional tea leaves. Moreover, the daily exposure rates of NNIs through green tea consumption were far lower for organic tea leaves than conventional tea leaves. These findings ultimately show that the adoption of organic farming interventions may offer optimum ameliorative outcomes on NNI exposure rates Japanese population.