Global Warming and Toxicity Impacts: Peanuts in Georgia, USA Using Life Cycle Assessment

Rahmah Alhashim and Aavudai Anandhi
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Rahmah Alhashim: School of the Environment, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
Aavudai Anandhi: Biological Systems Engineering, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-24

Abstract: Fertilizers and pesticides have been widely used in agriculture production, causing polluted soil, water, and atmosphere. This study aims to quantify air emissions from pesticides and fertilizers applied for peanut production in Georgia during selected years (1991, 1999, 2004, 2013, and 2018). Specifically, the oral and dermal potential impacts from pesticide emissions and the global warming potential (GWP) impact from fertilizers to air were investigated. This study followed the ISO 14040 series standards for life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to assess six active ingredients (AIs) (2,4-DB, Bentazon, Chlorothalonil, Ethalfluralin, Paraquat, and Pendimethalin) and one greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide N 2 O). Their physical and chemical characteristics and the temporal scales greatly influenced the oral and dermal toxicity impacts. According to the low values obtained for Henry’s law (K H ) and vapor pressure (VP), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy butanoic (DB), Pendimethalin, and Chlorothalonil have a higher impact on the continental air scale. The effect factor (EF) from oral exposure was higher in 2,4-DB, Bentazon, and Pendimethalin than dermal exposure, according to the relatively low lethal dose (LD 50 ) for oral exposure, while the EF of Ethalfluralin and Chlorothalonil was the same for oral and dermal exposure according to their similar LD 50 .

Keywords: greenhouse gas emission; nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission; oral and dermal toxicity; life cycle assessment (LCA); peanuts in Georgia, USA; pesticide; fertilizers in agricultural production; global warming potential (GWP) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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