Publication: Impact of glyphosate (herbicide) and chlorpyrifos (insecticide) contamination on necrophagous fly lifecycle on pork
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Date
2025-02
Authors
Lin, Chang Zhi
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Abstract
Forensic entomology is crucial in criminal investigations, but insect development can be influenced by toxic substances, affecting post-mortem interval (PMI) estimations. This study examines the impact of glyphosate (herbicide) and chlorpyrifos (insecticide) contamination on necrophagous fly lifecycles on decomposing pork meat. Experiments were conducted using control, glyphosate-treated, and chlorpyrifos-treated samples over 14 days in both rainy and non-rainy seasons. Four necrophagous fly species—Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies, Lucilia sp., and Sarcophaga sp.—were observed in control and glyphosate-treated samples, with no significant differences in lifecycle duration, morphology, or species composition. However, chlorpyrifos contamination drastically reduced oviposition, causing larval mortality at the first instar and slowing decomposition. Glyphosate did not affect decomposition or insect activity, whereas chlorpyrifos delayed decay due to reduced insect colonisation, potentially impacting forensic PMI estimations. Attempts to detect pesticide residues in larvae using gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) were inconclusive, as the recovery study failed, possibly due to extraction inefficiencies or the instrument’s limited sensitivity to these compounds. These findings highlight the need for improved toxicological methods for pesticide detection in forensic entomology
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