https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126778，Environmental Pollution，2025

ABSTRACT

Nanopesticides offer significant advantages, such as enhancing pesticide bioactivity, increasing efficacy, and reducing overall usage. However, knowledge gaps regarding their environmental risks to non-target organisms hinder the industrial adoption of nanopesticides. In this study, abamectin was selected as a model pesticide, and earthworms (Eisenia foetida) were employed as representative non-target organisms to evaluate the environmental behavior and ecotoxicity mechanisms of abamectin-loaded layered double hydroxides nanopesticide (Mg/Al LDHs-AVM) in soil systems. The dissipation rate of LDHs-AVM in soil was 2.9-fold slower than that of abamectin technical (AVM TC). Compared with AVM TC, Mg/Al LDHs-AVM significantly reduced the accumulation of the active ingredient in earthworms by 35 %. Furthermore, Mg/Al LDHs-AVM enhanced the antioxidant and detoxification capacities of earthworms through Mg/Al LDH nanoparticles (Mg/Al LDHs), significantly upregulating detoxification-related genes (EfCYP2U1, EfADH1, EfGST-III, and EfGSTt1) involved in the CYP2E1 and glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis pathways by 2.8- to 22.5-fold. Compared to AVM TC, Mg/Al LDHs-AVM could significantly reduce the MDA content in earthworms by half. These findings provide the first comprehensive safety assessment of Mg/Al LDHs-AVM, offering a novel approach to mitigate the ecotoxicity of AVM TC to non-target organisms through LDH NP-mediated delivery.

Graphical abstract

Environmental Pollution，IF=8.1

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126778