Environmental benignity of a pesticide in soft colloidal hydrodispersive nanometric form with improved toxic precision towards the target organisms than non-target organisms

Mosquito-borne diseases are of major concern as they cause devastating health effects, morbidity, and mortality in the human population. Conventional pesticides have failed to curb the mosquito population due to the development of insensitivity in mosquitoes. Hence, higher dosages of pesticides along with their toxic solubilizers have been employed, which have led to raise in pesticide pollution load, environmental toxicity, and human health concerns. As a realisation for the requirement of alternative pesticides, the present study has involved in the formulation of a hydrodispersive nanometric colloidal form of deltamethrin (NDM), a type-II pyrethroid pesticide, from its hydroimmisicible parental form (PDM). The mean hydrodynamic diameter of the droplets was found to be 30.6 ± 4.6 nm by dynamic light scattering study (DLS). High-resolution transmission electron micrographs have revealed the spherical structure of the droplets with a size range of 35–40 nm. The NDM was found to possess sedimentation resistance, intrinsic and hydrodispersive stability. The toxicity of NDM and PDM was comparatively investigated on target organisms (Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes) and non-target organisms (Allium cepa – Bioindicator of toxicants and Rhizobium sp. – Soil bacteria). As comparative to PDM, NDM has exerted higher efficacy on adult mosquito and larval population, even at low-level concentrations. However, in the case of non-target organisms, the NDM toxicity was lower than PDM. Comprehensively, the study has concluded the potential advantage of formulating conventional pesticides into nanometric soft colloidal form for the improved toxic precision on target organisms (mosquitoes). This ensures the ability of NDM to combat against the mosquito population even at lower concentrations, thereby reducing the pesticide exposure load towards the environment and human population. - Highlights: • Nanopesticide research is a prerequisite for controlling the mosquito population. • Transformation of PDM into hydrodispersive NDM by ultrasonic emulsification method. • Improved efficacy of NDM on mosquitoes (target organisms), as comparative to PDM. • Reduced toxic influence of NDM on A.cepa and RB (non-target organisms) than PDM. • NDM possessing improved target specificity and warrants environmental benignity.