**3. Geographical areas potentially affected by endocrine disrupting compounds**

Several of the crop protection compounds identified as endocrine disruptors are applied in different crops, widely distributed within the territory. Therefore, were analyzed the spatial impacts combining the area occupied by each crops and the recommended doses (**Tables 4** and **5**). The crops considered were: grasslands (2,500,000 ha), soybean (1,140,000 ha), wheat (215,000 ha), barley (190,000 ha), rice (164,400 ha), corn (83,000 ha), sorghum (67,000 ha), fruit and citrus trees (17,000 ha), vegetables (14,190 ha) and sugarcane (7,600 ha) [21] **Figure 1**.

According to estimated loads, the crop protection compounds priority: 2,4 butyl ester, chlorpyrifos, 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt, acetochlor, tebuconazole, chlorpyrifos methyl, metolachlor and S- metolachlor. Considering only the agricultural lands (without grasslands), 60% of them are occupied for soybean and are mainly concentrated at the west littoral zone (Rio Negro, Soriano and Flores Department), represented in **Figure 1**, like the land use rain-fed crops.


The substances are listed in alphabetical order. F-fungicide, H-herbicide, I-insecticide.

Source: SATA Guide.

**3. Geographical areas potentially affected by endocrine disrupting** 

**Active ingredients References Effect**

2,4-D, dimethylamine salt (H) PANNA; Cocco [23]; McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9] 2,5 Acephate (I) PANNA; PPDB; McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9] 1,2,5 Acetochlor (H) PANNA; PPDB; Cocco [23]; McKinlay et al [25]; Mnif et al. [9] 1,2 Azoxystrobin + **cyproconazole** (F) PPDB; McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9] 1,3,5 **Bifenthrin** + thiamethoxam (I) PANNA; PPDB; McKinlay et al. [25] 1,2 Captan (F) PPDB; McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9] 1 Chlorothalonil (F) PPDB; McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9] 5 Chlorpyrifos ethyl (I) PANNA; PPDB 3,5 Chlorpyrifos-methyl (I) PPDB; Morales y Rodríguez [24]; McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif

**Lambda-cyhalothrin** + thiamethoxam (I) PANNA; Morales y Rodríguez [24]; Ewence et al. [11] 1

Ewence et al. [11]

Ewence et al. [11]

Metolachlor (H) PANNA; PPDB; Cocco [23]; Mnif et al. [9] 5 S-Metolachlor (H) PANNA; PPDB; Cocco [23]; Mnif et al. [9]; Ewence et al. [11] 5 Tebuconazole (F) PANNA; McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9]; Marx-Stoelting

Mancozeb (F) PANNA; PPDB; Cocco [23]; Morales y Rodríguez [24];

**Mancozeb** + metalaxyl (F) PANNA; PPDB; Cocco [23]; Morales y Rodríguez [24];

et al. [9]; Marx-Stoelting et al. [10]; Ewence et al. [11]

McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9]; Marx-Stoelting et al. [10];

McKinlay et al. [25]; Mnif et al. [9]; Marx-Stoelting et al. [10];

et al. [10]; Ewence et al. [11]; Ventura et al. [29]; Yang et al. [30]

5

2

2

1,3,5

2,4 DB butyl ester (H) PPDB

40 Endocrine Disruptors

5-androgen. The substances are listed in alphabetical order.

databases (F-fungicide, H-herbicide, I-insecticide).

Several of the crop protection compounds identified as endocrine disruptors are applied in different crops, widely distributed within the territory. Therefore, were analyzed the spatial impacts combining the area occupied by each crops and the recommended doses (**Tables 4** and **5**). The crops considered were: grasslands (2,500,000 ha), soybean (1,140,000 ha), wheat (215,000 ha), barley (190,000 ha), rice (164,400 ha), corn (83,000 ha), sorghum (67,000 ha), fruit and citrus trees (17,000 ha), vegetables (14,190 ha) and sugarcane (7,600 ha) [21] **Figure 1**.

Target effect metabolism is included as follows: 1-estrogen, 2-thyroid hormones, 3-aromatase, 4-pregnane receptor,

**Table 3.** List of active ingredients suspected of generating endocrine disruption effects in at least one of the consulted

According to estimated loads, the crop protection compounds priority: 2,4 butyl ester, chlorpyrifos, 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt, acetochlor, tebuconazole, chlorpyrifos methyl, metolachlor and S- metolachlor. Considering only the agricultural lands (without grasslands), 60% of them are occupied for soybean and are mainly concentrated at the west littoral zone (Rio Negro, Soriano

and Flores Department), represented in **Figure 1**, like the land use rain-fed crops.

**compounds**

1-pastures, 2-soybean, 3-wheat, 4-barley, 5-rice, 6-corn, 7-sorghum, 8-citrus, 9-vegetable, 10-fruit, 11-sugarcane.

**Table 4.** Crops and recommended doses of the compounds cataloged as suspect of generating endocrine disruption effects.



sequences under no-tillage. Currently, more than 2 million hectares are destined to agriculture and approximately 50% correspond to soybean crops. In addition, the imported volumes of agrochemicals significatively increase, particularly herbicides (10,200,404 kg AI in 2017).

Crop Protection Compounds: A Source of Endocrine Disruptors in Uruguay?

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.78735

43

Considering the herbicides, insecticides and fungicides being more used, the doses/application numbers recommended and the agricultural area (crops and grasslands), we have estimated that in 2017, 15 million L of herbicides, 8 million L of insecticides and 750,000 L of fungicides were added. Several of them, as stated by the European and US regulatory agencies, have a status "Approved with restricted use" (7) or "Not approved" (5). In addition, PAN Pesticide Database (PANNA) and Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB) classified as "Suspected" interferes with the endocrine system functioning and four of these are: acephate, acetochlor, chlorpyrifos ethyl and metolachlor. On the other hand, although the aforementioned regulatory agencies confers tebuconazole the "Approved" status, it is one of the fungicides more used (2.136.750 L in 2017) and was reported as endocrine disruptor in PANNA and PPDB database, and by several authors [9–11, 25, 29, 30]. These last five compounds are used in the soybean cropping, and the bigger surfaces occupied by this crop are located around the

On the other hand, it is important to highlight that the available information at National level on residues of crop protection compounds is basically for export products and some foods for internal market. While as data about environmental concentration (soil, water or biota) are

According to our review about the crop protection compounds used in the agricultural systems in Uruguay, this activity is a potential source of endocrine disruptors. One of the first actions tending to reduce the environmental risk associated with the use of these compounds is to replace acephate, acetochlor, and metolachlor by other active ingredients. In the same way and in function of the scientific evidences, it is necessary to establish monitoring programs for determining environmental levels of chlorpyrifos and tebuconazole, as well as to assess the potential human health and wildlife risks. Finally, we consider that the west littoral is the zone with the highest risk associated with exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds

two most important river basins in the country (Uruguay and Negro river).

scarce, environmental surveillance programs are not carried out.

(hot spot area), principally the Rio Negro and Soriano Department.

**Conflict of interest**

**Author details**

República, Uruguay

Gabriela Eguren\* and Noelia Rivas-Rivera

\*Address all correspondence to: eguren67@gmail.com

Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de la

None.

For the estimation, the average dose reported was used. The total sown area corresponds to the sum of the crops in which the compound is used. The substances are listed in alphabetical order. F-fungicide, H-herbicide, I-insecticide.

**Table 5.** Estimation of formulated applied according to hectares sown in the agricultural year 2016/2017.

**Figure 1.** Uruguay regionalization according to the land use.
