Original article  

iq.unesp.br/ecletica 

 

| Vol. 43 | n. 2 | 2018 | 

 

65                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

Removal of pesticide residues after simulated water treatment: by-

products and acetylcholinesterase inhibition 

Rafael Oliveira Costa1 , Polyana Soares Barcellos1, Maria Cristina Canela1  

1 Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, 2000, Alberto Lamego Av, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 
2 Instituto Federal Fluminense, Campus Quissamã, 727, Amilcar Pereira da Silva Av, Quissamã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 
 
+ Corresponding author: Maria Cristina Cristina Canela, phone: e-mail address: mccanela@gmail.com 

 

 

ARTICLE INFO 

 

Article history: 

Received: February 11, 2018 

Accepted: June 10, 2018 

Published: August 23, 2018 
 

 

Keywords:  
1. drinking water 

2. pesticides 
3. chlorination 
4. by-products 
5. acetylcholinesterase inhibition 

 

 

 

1. Introduction 

 

Due to its physical and chemical properties, 

water was essential for the emergence of the first 

living organisms, as well as their evolution. It is the 
most abundant compound in living systems, 

accounting for ~70% or more of the weight of most 

organisms, and it plays important roles in their 
metabolisms. Because it is an essential compound 

for survival, any contamination can cause damage 

to humans and the environment1. 
The indiscriminate use of pesticides to 

accelerate food production, especially in 

developing countries, has resulted in contamination 

of natural waters, causing a serious threat to the 
environment in many parts of the world2. 

Pesticides are chemical compounds used to kill 
different kinds of pests that cause damage to crop, 

such as insects, fungi and undesirable plants 

(weeds)3, as well as being used to protect food 

products during processing, storage and transport4. 
Pesticides, due to their nature, are potentially toxic 

to other organisms, including humans3. 

Acute exposure to pesticides can lead to death 
or serious illness5. Chronic exposure can impair the 

function of the endocrine, nervous, renal, immune, 

reproductive, respiratory and cardiovascular 
systems6. From this perspective, there is evidence 

relating pesticide exposure and the incidence of 

chronic human diseases, including cancer7, 

Parkinson's disease8, Alzheimer's disease9 
asthma10, multiple sclerosis11, diabetes12, 

ABSTRACT: Water is of extreme importance to living creatures. 
However, due to the actions of humans, water resources have been 
contaminated by many different compounds, including pesticides. 
Pesticides in water sources can cause damage to aquatic environments 
or to those who consume it. On this basis, it is important that water 
treatment systems can remove these pollutants from water. In this 
perspective, the objective is to investigate whether conventional water 
treatment can remove several pesticides, namely, atrazine, ametryn, 
malathion and chlorpyrifos. According to the results, it was observed 

that conventional treatment after filtration was not capable of removing 
these pesticides efficiently, with the organophosphorus pesticides 
(malathion and chlorpyrifos) removed in a higher percentage than the 
triazines (atrazine and ametryn). Post-chlorination reduced the 
pesticide levels, however, malaoxon and ametryn sulphoxide by-
products were generated, which caused greater acetylcholinesterase 

inhibition. 

http://revista.iq.unesp.br/ojs/index.php/ecletica/index
https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73
mailto:mccanela@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3485-3795
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1107-887X


Original article 

66                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

premature aging13, reproductive disorders,14,15, 

cardiovascular disease16 and chronic kidney 
disease17. 

Brazil is the world's largest consumer of 

pesticides and is responsible for ~20% of the 

total18. In 2014, 317 active ingredients were 
commercialized in Brazil, consuming ~500 

thousand tons of pesticides19. 

Only 0.1% of the pesticides reach the target 
during application, while the remaining 99.9% has 

the potential to move to the environment, including 

surface and groundwater20. Thus, there is concern 

whether conventional water treatment systems can 
efficiently eliminate these contaminants. Only a 

few studies have been carried out with organic 

compounds in treated waters, and most of these 
studies are with pharmaceuticals and endocrine 

disrupters21. 

Brazilian conventional water treatment 
facilities typically use coagulation, flocculation, 

sedimentation and filtration for the removal of 

suspended solids and dissolved organic carbon, 

followed by chlorination for disinfection. This 
system has been shown to be largely ineffective in 

removing emerging micropollutants (e.g., 

endocrine-disrupting compounds, 

pharmaceuticals, personal care products and 
pesticides) and the addition of chlorine can result 

in the reaction and transformation of these 

compounds21–23. Advanced treatment technologies, 

such as ozonation and advanced oxidation 
processes, activated carbon adsorption, reverse 

osmosis and nanofiltration, are effective in 

removing these compounds22. Despite this, due to 
their high cost, advanced processes in water 

treatment facilities are still limited, especially in 

developing countries, like Brazil24. 

Therefore, the main objective of this work is to 
verify, by means of simulations, whether a 

conventional Brazilian water treatment system 

could remove some selected pesticide, namely, 
atrazine and ametryn, which belong to the class of 

triazines, and the organophosphorus pesticides, 

malathion and chlorpyrifos (Figure 1). These 
pesticides were chosen because they have recently 

been reported in the literature due to their high 

concentration in Brazilian surface waters, above 

the tolerable limit for aquatic life18. 
 

 

N N

N NN

S

HH

 Ametryn

N N

N NN

Cl

HH

Atrazine

NCl

Cl Cl

O
P

O

S O

Chlorpyrifos

P

S

S

O

O

O

O

O

O

Malathion
 

Figure 1. Pesticides used in this research. 

 

2. Experimental 

 

2.1. Materials and reagents 

 

Atrazine (98.8% purity), ametryn (98.5% 
purity), chlorpyrifos (99.2% purity) and 

Mmalathion (99.1% purity) were purchased from 

Sigma-Aldrich. Aluminium sulfate 
(Al2(SO4)3.18H2O, analytical grade) and calcium 

hydroxide (Ca(OH)2, analytical grade) were 

obtained from VETEC Química Fina Ltda. Kaolin 

was purchased from Prominérios Comércio de 
Minérios Ltda. and commercial sodium 

hypochlorite was obtained from Indústrias 

Anhembi Ltda. The concentration of the sodium 
hypochlorite solution was confirmed by a standard 

sodium thiosulfate titration25. 

Stock solutions of 800 mg L-1 of the individual 

pesticides were prepared in pure acetone. All the 

stock solutions were stored in amber glass bottles 

at 4 ºC. 
The experimental artificial sample was prepared 

by adding a kaolin suspension with 100 ± 5 NTU 

turbidity (TB100p MS Tecnopon) and 450 uH 
apparent color (Alfakit equipment)21. Organic and 

inorganic compounds were not added to artificial 

water because the aim was to isolate the variables 
and verify the treatment without interferents. The 

effect of a real matrix will be investigated in the 

next step of this work. 

 
2.2. Experimental procedures 

 

2.2.1 Analytical method and recuperation tests 
 

The method of analysis used to quantify the 

pesticides and to identify the by-products was 

based on the extraction/concentration of these 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73


Original article 

67                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

substances by means of solid phase extraction. 

Samples of 50 mL were submitted to solid phase 
extraction employing OPT 3 mL × 60 mg. Agilent 

cartridges were conditioned with 6.0 mL of 

methanol and 6.0 mL of ultrapure water in a 12-

port vacuum manifold system. The analytes were 
then eluted using 7.5 mL of ethyl acetate with 

subsequent quantification by GC-MS.  

 
Parent compound quantification 

 

The extracts were analyzed by GC-MS 

(Shimadzu GC - 17A and MS - QP 5050) using 
selected ion monitoring mode. In the experiments, 

the injection volume was 1 μL and a VF-5ms 

capillary column (Varian, 30 m, I.D. 0.25 mm, 0.25 
μm) was used. A flow rate of 1 mL min-1 of helium 

gas, with a constant pressure of 203 kPa and a 1:10 

split ratio was used. The oven temperature started 
from 100 °C then increased at 25 °C min-1 to 

250 °C and finally increased at 15 °C min-1 to 

270 °C. Temperatures were set at 240 °C in the 

injector and 230 °C in the interface to the detector. 
The ions monitored for atrazine detection were: 

m/z 215, 200 and 173; for ametryn: m/z 227, 212 

and 170; for malathion: 173, 125 and 93; for 
chlorpyrifos: 314, 197 and 97. Quantification was 

performed by external standardization, with the 

area obtained compared with the appropriate 
analytical curve (Table 1)26. 

 

 

 
 

 

 

By-product identification 

 
The by-products of the pesticides were also 

analyzed by GC-MS using similar conditions as 

described for the parent compounds. A split ratio of 

1:10, an injection volume of 1 μL and scan mode 
were used for this analysis. Compounds were 

identified using fragmentation analysis, and 

isotope clustering patterns were found with the aid 
of the NIST library. 

Preliminary tests were carried out to evaluate 

the recovery of the pesticides in the aqueous 

matrixes used in the experiments to determine the 
efficiency of the extraction method. The pesticide 

recovery ratio was determined (in triplicate) by 

comparing peak areas from water samples spiked 
with a known amount of non-extracted pure 

standards. The linearity of the method, calibration 

equation, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of 
quantification (LOQ) were also determined 

(Table 1). The detection and quantification limits 

were calculated using the standard deviation of the 

blank (synthetic water extract after simulated water 
treatment without pesticides) from the following 

equations27: 

 
LOD = 3.3 x (blank standard deviation)/slope 

(Equation 1). 

 
LOQ = 10 x (blank standard deviation)/slope 

(Equation 2)  

 

Note: Slope: Angular coefficient of the 
analytical curve. 

 

 

Table 1. Detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) limits, mean percentage recovery (% R), calibration 

equation* and coefficients of correlation (r2) for the experimental solutions. 

Pesticide Calibration equation r2 % R LOD (ng L-1) LOQ (ng L-1) 

Atrazine y= 9.96.105x-1.16.104 0.997 99±1 8.11 24.58 

Ametryn y=1.20.106x-2.83.104 0.998 95±2 6.76 20.49 
Malathion y=1.88.106x-3.63.104 0.998 112±3 4.29 13.02 

Chlorpyrifos y=1.14.106x-1.51.104 0.997 79±2 7.08 21.44 

*Calibration equation was obtained by mixing the pesticides in synthetic water (100 NTU of turbidity) at 

concentrations of 0.48, 0.40, 0.32, 0.24, 0.16 and 0.08 mg L-1. 

 
2.2.2 Determining optimum operating conditions 

for jar test 

 

The tests were carried out with the artificial 
sample mentioned in Section 2.1 using jar test 

Trade Lab Ambiental equipment to obtain the ideal 

condition of turbidity removal. Then, the pair of 

values "coagulant dosage × coagulation pH" was 

varied. 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73


Original article 

68                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

An aluminum sulphate solution (1% w/v) was 

used to facilitate the coagulation in the water and a 
calcium hydroxide solution (0.5% w/v) was used 

for adjusting the pH values25. 

 

2.2.3 Jar test procedures 
 

Bench tests were performed in triplicate using 

the jar test method to reproduce the conventional 
water treatment systems, i.e., coagulation-

flocculation and decantation, followed by 

filtration. The pesticides were added to synthetic 

water (pH corrected according to Section 2.2.2) at 
a concentration of 0.48 mg L-1 for each compound, 

and their removal was verified according to Section 

2.2.1. 
The jar test was performed according to 

Brazilian standard NBR 12.216: 1992 and by the 

Practical manual of water analysis from the 
National Health Foundation to better represent the 

operations of the treatment plants of water, as 

follows: 

Rapid mixture: dispersion of aluminum 
sulphate in 1 L of water sample to be treated, with 

a maximum speed of 100 rpm for 3 min; 

Mechanized flocculation: total time of 10 min, 
with agitation speed of 50 rpm; 

Decantation: the sample was left to decant for 

~15 min, which corresponds to a sedimentation rate 
of 1.74 cm min-1 (treatment plant with capacity of 

up to 1,000 m³ day-1). 

Filtration of the samples was done by gravity 

using 125 mm diameter filter paper. In the last step, 
chlorination, sodium hypochlorite was added in a 

dosage that resulted in 5 mg L-1 of chlorine, a 

concentration as indicated by the Ministry of 
Health Ordinance Nº 2914 of 12/12/2011. After 

this process, an aliquot of each test was removed 

and submitted to the analysis, as described in the 

following sections. 
 

2.2.4 Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity 

 
Determination of the AChE inhibitory activity 

was carried out according to the Ellman method, 

modified as follows28. This method is based on the 
amount of thiocholine released when AChE 

hydrolyses the substrate acetylthiocholine iodide. 

The product thiocholine reacts with Ellman’s 

reagent (DTNB) to produce a yellow compound [5-
thio-2-(nitrobenzoate)], which can be detected at 

405 nm. In each well of a 96-well plate, 65 μL of 

PBS (0.2 mol·L−1 phosphate buffer, pH 7.2), 10 μL 

of sample* and 10 μL of AchE (1300 U mg−1) were 

added. The mixture was kept at 37 °C for 3 h. 
Subsequently, 65 μL of 1.00 mmol 

L−1 acetylcholine iodide and 65 μL of 1.00 mmol 

L−1 Ellman’s reagent (DTNB dissolved in 0.2 mol 

L−1 phosphate buffer pH 7.2) were added. Then, the 
absorbance was measured at 405 nm using a 

microplate reader (ELX800 Biotec) in triplicate 

experiments. The enzymatic activity was 
calculated as a percentage of the velocities of each 

sample compared to the control. The inhibitory 

activity was calculated from one hundred 

percentage subtracted by the percentage of enzyme 
activity. 

*Control - 10 μL of ultrapure water. Chlorine - 

10 μL chlorine solution (5 mg L-1). After filtration 
- 10 μL solution after filtration. Postchlorination - 

10 μL solution after 30 min reaction time with 

chlorination. 
 

3. Results and discussion 

 

3.1 Determining optimum operating conditions for 
jar test 

 

The optimal conditions for the treatment of 1 L 
of water at 100 NTU were using 20 mL of 

aluminum sulphate solution (1% w/v) and pH 10.5, 

or 15 mL of calcium hydroxide solution (0.5% 
w/v), conditions which provided a turbidity of 0.24 

NTU and 0.0 uH apparent color. All results 

considered in this study meet the standards for 

turbidity and apparent color, set forth in Brazilian 
legislation from the Ministry of Health for drinking 

water standards. Therefore, these were the 

parameters used in the pesticide removal test in the 
simulation of conventional water treatment. 

 

3.2 Pesticide removal 

 
As shown in Figure 2, it was observed that after 

filtration, the pesticides were not removed 

efficiently. The organophosphorus compounds 
were removed in a higher percentage (malathion: 

62.21 ± 0.01%, chlorpyrifos: 43.8 ± 0.9%) than the 

triazines (atrazine: 10.8 ± 0.6%, ametryn: 14.8 ± 
0.3%). As the flake formation phenomenon in the 

treatment of water is carried out by electrostatic 

attraction, it is inferred that the organophosphorus 

compounds have been removed in greater 
percentage due to the presence of the phosphate 

group, which would allow a greater attraction to the 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73


Original article 

69                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

particles, and consequently, greater efficiency in 

the decantation/filtration process. 

 

 
Figure 2. Average percentage of pesticide removal after treatment. 

 
After the chlorination, the removal of pesticides 

increased, and lower and higher percentages were 

found for atrazine (15 ± 1%) and ametryn (87.7 ± 
0.5%), respectively. The organophosphorus 

malathion and chlorpyrifos were eliminated by 

73.2 ± 0.2% and 62.9 ± 0.8%, respectively. Despite 
the increased removal of pesticides, according to 

Figure 3, two by-products were detected in the 

post-chlorination step. According to the NIST 

library, the first by-product is malaoxon and the 
second is an ametryn-derived compound, as shown 

in Figure 3B. Li et al.29 reported that the oxidation 

of malathion by chlorination generates malaoxon. 

 

 
Figure 3. GC-MS chromatogram scan mode: A – After filtration; B – Post-chlorination. 

 

Using the ametryn-derived fragmentation 
analysis (Figure 4), we found the molecular ion 

with a mass to charge ratio of 243, the molecular 

ametryn ion is m/z = 227, resulting in an increase 
equal to 16 in its mass value. This difference is 

consistent with the oxidation product of ametryn, 

derived from the reaction with sodium 

hypochlorite, generating ametryn sulfoxide, as 
reported by Lopez and collaborators30. This by-

product formation justifies the marked difference 

in the removal of ametryn compared with atrazine, 
due to the methyl sulfide group (R-S-CH3), which 

is susceptible to reaction with sodium hypochlorite. 

 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73


Original article 

70                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

 
Figure 4. GC-MS mass spectra for ametryn by-product. 

 

 
There are other studies on water treatment plant 

simulation that note that the conventional model is 

not efficient for the removal of pesticides, such as 

Soares et al.21, whose objective was to verify the 
removal of endosulfan, ethylenethiourea and 1,2,4-

triazole. At the end of the experiments, they 

verified that 54% of endosulfan, 11% of 
ethylenethiourea and 18% of 1,2,4-triazole were 

removed21. Li et al.29 also found that after the 

treatment process, the organophosphorus diazinon 

and tolcoflos-methyl (initial concentration of 
50 μg L-1) were removed by ca. 63% and 49%, 

respectively, after filtration. These results are very 

similar to those found in the removal of the 
organophosphorus pesticides malathion and 

chlorpyrifos presented here. 

 
3.3 Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity 

 

According to Table 2, it is observed that the 

sample containing chlorine did not show 
significant difference to the control, in other words, 

chlorine was not the capable of inhibiting the 

acetylcholinesterase enzyme. Alternatively, it is 
known that organophosphates have the ability to 

inhibit such enzymes31–33, which explains the 

inhibition generated after filtration, i.e., this 
treatment was not effective in removing such 

compounds. There are not studies demonstrating 

that atrazine and ametryn alone are capable of 

inhibiting AChE. However, during toxicity 
bioassays, the atrazine in combination with 

chlorpyrifos decreased significantly the 

acetylcholinesterase activity as compared to 
chlorpyrifos only treatments34. Studies show that 

atrazine enhances the uptake and facilitates the 

biotransformations of chlorpyrifos to chlorpyrifos-

oxon35. 
 

 

Table 2. Acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE). 

Sample % AChE activity 

Control 100 ± 2 

Chlorine 100 ± 1 

After filtration 96 ± 1 

Post-chlorination 51 ± 2 

 

After chlorination, 50% enzyme inhibition was 

found, which is an indication that the compounds 

formed were more toxic than their parents. Based 
on Figure 3B, we observed the formation of two 

by-products, malaoxon and ametryn sulfoxide. It is 

known that the oxidation of organophosphorus 
generates more toxic products, the oxons, which 

are more efficient in inhibiting AChE27–29. In this 

perspective, we expected that the enzyme 
inhibition would be accentuated, since malaoxon 

was generated after the chlorination. The effect of 

ametryn sulfoxide is still unknown, however this 

will be investigated in the next step of this work. 
 

4. Conclusions 

 

Based on the results, we verified that the 

conventional water treatment was not effective in 

removing atrazine, ametryn, malathion and 
chlorpyrifos pesticides. Organophosphorus 

compounds were removed in higher percentages 

than the triazines. 

It was observed that the post-chlorination water 
became more toxic, because the enzyme 

acetylcholinesterase activity reached at 50%, 

indicating that the malaoxon was one of the 
responsible by-products. It is not yet known if the 

ametryn oxidation by-product, ametryn sulfoxide, 

is capable of inhibiting this enzyme, this action will 

be verified in future experiments by testing only 
this by-product. 

 
40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240

0

50

100

%

68

43
227

71

96 212
138 17085 185110 122 15555

243127 196 201

N

N

N

S

N N

H H

Ametryn

sodium hypochlorite
N

N

N

S

N N

H H

O

Ametryn sulphoxide

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73


Original article 

71                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

Based on the toxicity of pesticides and their 

post-chlorination by-products, water quality 
control measures and treatment systems 

improvement are necessary to allow further 

removal of these contaminants at levels that are not 

a hazard to the population.  
 

 

5. Acknowledgments 

 

The authors thank the INCTAA (FAPESP, 

proc. 465768/2014-8 and CNPq proc. 

573894/2008-6) by the financial support.   
 

6. References 
 

[1] Nelson, D. L., Cox, M. M., Lehninger 
Principles of Biochemistry, Artmed, Porto Alegre, 

6th ed., 2014, ch2. 

[2] Sivagami, K., Krishna, R. R., Swaminathan, T., 
Photocatalytic degradation of pesticides in 

immobilized bead photo reactor under solar 

irradiation, Sol. Energy 103 (2014) 488-493. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.001. 

[3] WHO – World Health Organization, Geneva 

(2018), Pesticides [online], Available from: 

<http://www.who.int/topics/pesticides/en/>. 

[4] FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of 

the United Nations, Roma (2010), International 

Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of 
Pesticides [online], Available from: 

<http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4544E/y4544e

00.htm>. 

[5] WHO – World Health Organization, Geneva 
(1990), Public health impact of pesticides used in 

agriculture [online], Available from: 

<http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/61414>. 

[6] Mostafalou, S., Abdollahi, M., Pesticides and 

human chronic diseases: Evidences, mechanisms, 

and perspectives, Toxicol. Appl. Pharm. 268 
(2013) 157-177. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.01.025. 

[7] Koutros, S., Silverman, D. T., Alavanja, M. C. 

R., Andreotti, G., Lerro, C. C., Heltshe, S., Lynch, 
C. F., Sandler, D. P., Blair, A., Freeman, L. E. B., 

Occupational exposure to pesticides and bladder 

cancer risk, Int. J. Epidemiol. 45 (3) (2016) 792-

805.  https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv195. 

[8] Pezzoli, G., Cereda, E., Exposure to pesticides 

or solvents and risk of Parkinson disease, 

Neurology 80 (22) (2013) 2035-2041. 

https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e318294b3c8. 

[9] Jones, N., Alzheimer disease: risk of dementia 

and Alzheimer disease increases with occupational 

pesticide exposure, Nat. Rev. Neurol. 6 (7) (2010) 

353. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2010.80. 

[10] Amaral, A. F. S., Pesticides and asthma: 

challenges for epidemiology, Front. Public Health 

2 (6) (2014) 1-3. 

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00006. 

[11] Bonvicini, F., Marcello, N., Mandrioli, J., 

Pietrini, V., Vinceti, M., Exposure to pesticides and 
risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a population-

based case–control study, Ann. Ist. Super. Sanita. 

46 (3) (2010) 284-287. 

https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_10_03_10. 

[12] Jaacks, L. M., Staimez, L. R., Association of 

persistent organic pollutants and non-persistent 

pesticides with diabetes and diabetes-related health 
outcomes in Asia: a systematic review, Environ. 

Int. 76 (2015) 57-70. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001. 

[13] Gravina, S., Vijg, J., Epigenetic factors in 

aging and longevity, Pflug. Arch. Eur. J. Phy. 459 

(2) (2010) 247-258. 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-009-0730-7. 

[14] Saadi, S., Abdollahi, M., Is there a link 

between human infertilities and exposure to 

pesticides? Int. J. Pharmacol. 8 (8) (2012) 708-710. 

https://doi.org/10.3923/ijp.2012.708.710. 

[15] Frazier, L. M., Reproductive disorders 

associated with pesticide exposure, J. 
Agromedicine 12 (1) (2007) 27-37. 

https://doi.org/10.1300/J096v12n01_04. 

[16] Morton, W. E., Hypertension in Oregon 

pesticide-formulating workers. J Occup Med. 17 
(3) (1975) 182-185. Available from: 

<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1123687

>. 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.001
http://www.who.int/topics/pesticides/en/
http://www.who.int/topics/pesticides/en/
http://www.who.int/topics/pesticides/en/
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4544E/y4544e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4544E/y4544e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4544E/y4544e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4544E/y4544e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4544E/y4544e00.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y4544E/y4544e00.htm
http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/61414
http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/61414
http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/61414
http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/61414
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.01.025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.01.025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.01.025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.01.025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2013.01.025
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv195
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv195
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv195
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv195
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv195
https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyv195
https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e318294b3c8
https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e318294b3c8
https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e318294b3c8
https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e318294b3c8
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2010.80
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2010.80
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2010.80
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2010.80
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00006
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00006
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00006
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00006
https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_10_03_10
https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_10_03_10
https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_10_03_10
https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_10_03_10
https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_10_03_10
https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_10_03_10
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.001
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-009-0730-7
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-009-0730-7
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-009-0730-7
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-009-0730-7
https://doi.org/10.3923/ijp.2012.708.710
https://doi.org/10.3923/ijp.2012.708.710
https://doi.org/10.3923/ijp.2012.708.710
https://doi.org/10.3923/ijp.2012.708.710
https://doi.org/10.1300/J096v12n01_04
https://doi.org/10.1300/J096v12n01_04
https://doi.org/10.1300/J096v12n01_04
https://doi.org/10.1300/J096v12n01_04
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1123687
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1123687
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1123687
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1123687
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1123687


Original article 

72                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

[17] Siddharth, M., Datta, S. K., Bansal, S., 

Mustafa, M., Banerjee, B. D., Kalra, O. P., 
Tripathi, A.K., Study on organochlorine pesticide 

levels in chronic kidney disease patients: 

association with estimated glomerular filtration 

rate and oxidative stress, J. Biochem. Mol. Toxicol. 
26 (6) (2012) 241-247. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416. 

[18] Albuquerque, A. F., Ribeiro, J. S., Kummrow, 
F., Nogueira, A. J. A., Montagner, C. C., 

Umbuzeiro, G. A., Pesticides in Brazilian 

freshwaters: a critical review, Environ. Sci.: 

Processes Impacts 18 (2016) 779-787. Available 
from: 

<http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/201

6/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract>. 

[19] BRASIL, IBAMA – Ministério do Meio 

Ambiente, Relatórios de comercialização de 

agrotóxicos, Brasília, 2016. Available from:  
<http://www.ibama.gov.br/agrotoxicos/relatorios-

de-comercializacao-de-agrotoxicos>. 

[20] Younos, T. M., Weigmann, D. L., Pesticides: 

A continuing dilemma, J. Water Pollut. Con. F. 60 
(7) (1988) 1199-1205. Available from:  < 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25043616?refreqid=

excelsior%3Af302eef8f9935f088ff07fe88c6dad7b

. 

[21] Soares, A. F. S., Leão, M. M. D., Vianna Neto, 

M. R., Costa, E. P., Oliveira, M. C., Amaral, N. B., 
Efficiency of conventional drinking water 

treatment process in the removal of endosulfan, 

ethylenethiourea, and 1,2,4-triazole, J. Water 

Supply Res. T. 62 (6) (2013) 367-376. 

https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042. 

[22] Westerhoff, P., Yoon, Y., Snyder, S., Wert, E. 

Fate of endocrine-disruptor, pharmaceutical, and 
personal care product chemicals during simulated 

drinking water treatment processes. Environ Sci 

Technol. 39 (2005) 6649-6663. 

https://doi.org/10.1021/es0484799. 

[23] Jin, X., Peldszus, S. Selection of 

representative emerging micropollutants for 

drinking water treatment studies: A systematic 
approach, Sci. Total Environ. 414 (2012) 653-663. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.035. 

[24] Rigobello, E. S., Dantas, A. D., Di Bernardo, 

L., Vieira, E. M. Removal of diclofenac by 
conventional drinking water treatment processes 

and granular activated carbon filtration, 

Chemosphere 92 (2013) 184-191. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.01

0. 

[25] BRASIL, Fundação Nacional de Saúde. 

Manual prático de análise de água. 4ª ed. - Brasília: 
Fundação Nacional de Saúde, 2013. Available 

from: <http://www.funasa.gov.br/site/wp-

content/files_mf/manual_pratico_de_analise_de_a

gua_2.pdf>. 

[26] Araújo, T. M. R., Canela, M. C., Miranda, P. 

C. M. L., Photochemical nitro-nitrite 

rearrangement in methyl parathion decay under 
tropical conditions, J. Environ. Sci. Heal. B. 48 

(2013) 251-259. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2013.743750. 

[27] Ribani, M., Bottoli, C. B. G., Collins, C. H., 

Jardim, I. C. S. F., Melo, L. F. C., Validação em 

métodos cromatográficos e eletroforéticos, Quim. 

Nova 27 (5) (2004) 771-780. 
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-

40422004000500017. 

[28] Ellman, G. L., Courtney, D. K., Andres, V., 
Featherstone, R. M., A new and rapid colorimetric 

determination of acetylcholinesterase activity, 

Biochem. Pharmacol. 7 (2) (1961) 88-95. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(61)90145-9. 

[29] Li, W., Wu, R., Duan, J., Saint, C. P., Van 

Leeuwen, J., Impact of prechlorination on 

organophosphorus pesticides during drinking 
water treatment: Removal and transformation to 

toxic oxon byproducts, Water Res. 105 (2016) 1-

10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.052. 

[30] Lopez, A., Mascolo, G., Tiravanti, G., 

Passino, R., Degradation of herbicides (ametryn 

and isoproturon) during water disinfection by 

means of two oxidants (hypochlorite and chlorine 
dioxide), Water Sci. Technol. 35 (1997) 129-136. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00018-8. 

[31] Fukuto, T. R., Mechanism of action of 
organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides, 

Environ. Health Persp. 87 (1990) 245-254. 

Available from: 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
https://doi.org/10.1002/jbt.21416
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/em/c6em00268d/unauth#!divAbstract
http://www.ibama.gov.br/agrotoxicos/relatorios-de-comercializacao-de-agrotoxicos
http://www.ibama.gov.br/agrotoxicos/relatorios-de-comercializacao-de-agrotoxicos
http://www.ibama.gov.br/agrotoxicos/relatorios-de-comercializacao-de-agrotoxicos
http://www.ibama.gov.br/agrotoxicos/relatorios-de-comercializacao-de-agrotoxicos
http://www.ibama.gov.br/agrotoxicos/relatorios-de-comercializacao-de-agrotoxicos
https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25043616?refreqid=excelsior%3Af302eef8f9935f088ff07fe88c6dad7b
https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25043616?refreqid=excelsior%3Af302eef8f9935f088ff07fe88c6dad7b
https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25043616?refreqid=excelsior%3Af302eef8f9935f088ff07fe88c6dad7b
https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25043616?refreqid=excelsior%3Af302eef8f9935f088ff07fe88c6dad7b
https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25043616?refreqid=excelsior%3Af302eef8f9935f088ff07fe88c6dad7b
https://www.jstor.org/stable/i25043616?refreqid=excelsior%3Af302eef8f9935f088ff07fe88c6dad7b
https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042
https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042
https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042
https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042
https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042
https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042
https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2013.042
https://doi.org/10.1021/es0484799
https://doi.org/10.1021/es0484799
https://doi.org/10.1021/es0484799
https://doi.org/10.1021/es0484799
https://doi.org/10.1021/es0484799
https://doi.org/10.1021/es0484799
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.035
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.03.010
http://www.funasa.gov.br/site/wp-content/files_mf/manual_pratico_de_analise_de_agua_2.pdf
http://www.funasa.gov.br/site/wp-content/files_mf/manual_pratico_de_analise_de_agua_2.pdf
http://www.funasa.gov.br/site/wp-content/files_mf/manual_pratico_de_analise_de_agua_2.pdf
http://www.funasa.gov.br/site/wp-content/files_mf/manual_pratico_de_analise_de_agua_2.pdf
http://www.funasa.gov.br/site/wp-content/files_mf/manual_pratico_de_analise_de_agua_2.pdf
http://www.funasa.gov.br/site/wp-content/files_mf/manual_pratico_de_analise_de_agua_2.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2013.743750
https://doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2013.743750
https://doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2013.743750
https://doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2013.743750
https://doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2013.743750
https://doi.org/10.1080/03601234.2013.743750
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-40422004000500017
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-40422004000500017
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-40422004000500017
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-40422004000500017
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-40422004000500017
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-40422004000500017
https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(61)90145-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(61)90145-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(61)90145-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(61)90145-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-2952(61)90145-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.052
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.052
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.052
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.052
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.052
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.052
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00018-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00018-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00018-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00018-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00018-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1223(97)00018-8
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1567830/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1567830/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1567830/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1567830/


Original article 

73                     Eclética Química Journal, vol. 43, n. 2, 2018, 65-73 

ISSN: 1678-4618 

DOI: 10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73 

 

<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC

1567830/>. 

[32] Gälli, R., Rich, H. W., Scholtz, R., Toxicity of 

organophosphate inseticides and their metabolites 

to the water flea Daphnia magna, the Microtox test 

and na acetylcholinesterase inhibition test, Aquat. 
Toxicol. 30 (1994) 258-269. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(94)90063-9. 

[33] Čolović, M. B., Krstić, D. Z., Ušćumlić, G. S., 
Vasić, V. M., Single and simultaneous exposure of 

acetylcholinesterase to diazinon, chlorpyrifos and 

their photodegradation products, Pestic. Biochem. 

Phys. 100 (1) (2011) 16-22. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2011.01.010. 

[34] Belden J. B., Lydy, M. J., Effects of atrazine 

on acetylcholinesterase activity in midges 
(Chironomus tentans) exposed to 

organophosphorus insecticides,  Chemosphere 44 

(8) (2001) 1685-1689. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00519-1. 

[35] Belden, J. B., Lydy, M. J. Impact of atrazine 

on organophosphate insecticide toxicity, Environ 

Toxicol. Chem. 19 (2000) 2266-2274. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190917. 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618eqj.v43.2.2018.p65-73
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1567830/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1567830/
https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(94)90063-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(94)90063-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(94)90063-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(94)90063-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(94)90063-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-445X(94)90063-9
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2011.01.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2011.01.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2011.01.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2011.01.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2011.01.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2011.01.010
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00519-1
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00519-1
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00519-1
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00519-1
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00519-1
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(00)00519-1
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190917
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190917
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190917
https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620190917