The Ecotoxicology of Microbial Insecticides and Their Toxins in Genetically Modified Crops: An Overview

Abstract

The use of microbial insecticides and their toxins in biological control and transgenic plants has increased their presence in the environment. Although they are natural products, the main concerns are related to the potential impacts on the environment and human health. Several assays have been performed worldwide to investigate the toxicity or adverse effects of these microbial products or their individual toxins. This overview examines the published data concerning the knowledge obtained about the ecotoxicity and environmental risks of these natural pesticides. The data presented show that many results are difficult to compare due to the diversity of measurement units used in the different research data. Even so, the products and toxins tested present low toxicity and low risk when compared to the concentrations used for pesticide purposes. Complementary studies should be carried out to assess possible effects on human health.

An oral toxicity assessment of a mosquito larvicidal transgenic algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) using adult Zebrafish and its embryos

“…Therefore, all results fell within the normal range, and no biologically significant differences were found among the experimental groups. These findings were consistent with those of previous studies by RM Darwish et al, [ 51 ], EC Oliveria-Filho et al, [ 52 ] and MN Haque et al [ 53 ], which also demonstrated no adverse effects on fish fed with genetically modified (GM) algae. It is worth noting that there is a well-established history of the safe consumption of Bt proteins, such as Cryl1Ba.…”