Pathogenic fungi that have their natural habitat in the environment are the fungi
Coccidioides, Histoplasma, Aspergillus, Colletotrichum, and Cryptococcus [457–
461].
While a number of studies have evaluated the ecotoxicological impact of triazole
fungicides [462] (propiconazole [463, 464], tetraconazole [465], tebuconazole
[429, 466–473]) on soil microorganisms, the effects of antifungal medicines on
soil microorganisms have been scarcely documented [474]. Climbazole, an
antidandruff and antimycotic agent, was shown to be toxic to algae, aquatic lentils
(Lemna), and terrestrial plants and exhibited low toxicity toward the soil bacterium
Arthrobacter globiformis with an EC 50 of 456 mg/kg soil for inhibition of dehydrogenase activity [474].
4 Perspectives
Although PhACs are found as contaminants in almost all environmental matrices,
including soils, their environmental fate and ecotoxicological impact on in soil living
organisms and supported ecosystem services remain poorly described and scarcely
understood. This evident lack of information is most likely due to the absence of
regulatory requirements to monitor soil quality in the absence of a soil protection
directive that was proposed almost 20 years ago to the European Commission, but
that is still not adopted [475]. In addition, the current regulation to release on the
market PhACs does not consider enough their possible effect on the environmental
compartment, in particular on soil.
Most of the studies are laboratory experiments that consider contaminant one by
one spiked at high concentration in microcosms. Only a few of them are done at field
or environmental scale with complex mixture of contaminants but with the problem
of the reference (normal operating range) to interpret the variations observed.
Although it is the rule at the environmental scale, no studies consider the effect of
complex mixtures of PhACs to soil [476]. Until now, there are no consensus to
assess the fate and the ecotoxicological effects of PhACs on soil microorganisms and
supported ecosystem services.
Given the fact that human and animal health are unambiguously link to environmental health under the concept of “One health,” it could be concluded that there is
an urgent need to unify current regulations on the release on the market of PhACs,
biocides, and plant protection products in close connection with the regulations to
protect the environment such as the water framework directive, air quality framework directive, and national directives on soil protection (pending the publication of
the soil protection directive). This unification has to be done under a holistic policy
embracing both a priori and a posteriori environmental risk evaluation assessment by
targeting specific protection goals, including microbial communities that support soil
ecosystem services.
Impact of PhACs on Soil Microorganisms
281
Coccidioides, Histoplasma, Aspergillus, Colletotrichum, and Cryptococcus [457–
461].
While a number of studies have evaluated the ecotoxicological impact of triazole
fungicides [462] (propiconazole [463, 464], tetraconazole [465], tebuconazole
[429, 466–473]) on soil microorganisms, the effects of antifungal medicines on
soil microorganisms have been scarcely documented [474]. Climbazole, an
antidandruff and antimycotic agent, was shown to be toxic to algae, aquatic lentils
(Lemna), and terrestrial plants and exhibited low toxicity toward the soil bacterium
Arthrobacter globiformis with an EC 50 of 456 mg/kg soil for inhibition of dehydrogenase activity [474].
4 Perspectives
Although PhACs are found as contaminants in almost all environmental matrices,
including soils, their environmental fate and ecotoxicological impact on in soil living
organisms and supported ecosystem services remain poorly described and scarcely
understood. This evident lack of information is most likely due to the absence of
regulatory requirements to monitor soil quality in the absence of a soil protection
directive that was proposed almost 20 years ago to the European Commission, but
that is still not adopted [475]. In addition, the current regulation to release on the
market PhACs does not consider enough their possible effect on the environmental
compartment, in particular on soil.
Most of the studies are laboratory experiments that consider contaminant one by
one spiked at high concentration in microcosms. Only a few of them are done at field
or environmental scale with complex mixture of contaminants but with the problem
of the reference (normal operating range) to interpret the variations observed.
Although it is the rule at the environmental scale, no studies consider the effect of
complex mixtures of PhACs to soil [476]. Until now, there are no consensus to
assess the fate and the ecotoxicological effects of PhACs on soil microorganisms and
supported ecosystem services.
Given the fact that human and animal health are unambiguously link to environmental health under the concept of “One health,” it could be concluded that there is
an urgent need to unify current regulations on the release on the market of PhACs,
biocides, and plant protection products in close connection with the regulations to
protect the environment such as the water framework directive, air quality framework directive, and national directives on soil protection (pending the publication of
the soil protection directive). This unification has to be done under a holistic policy
embracing both a priori and a posteriori environmental risk evaluation assessment by
targeting specific protection goals, including microbial communities that support soil
ecosystem services.
Impact of PhACs on Soil Microorganisms
281