Environmental risk associated with glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides: the case of earthworms in agroecosystems

Environmental risk associated with glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides: the case of earthworms in agroecosystems | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Environmental risk associated with glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides: the case of earthworms in agroecosystems Mamadou TOURE, Kouakou Gains Kpan KPAN, N’guetta Moïse EHOUMAN, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6480282/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Herbicides, are becoming the most widely used weed management method worldwide due to their numerous advantages, such as labor time reduction, and workforce requirements as well as improving crop yields. The recurrent use of glyphosate and 2,4-D needs an assessment of their environmental risks. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides on earthworms in tropical agroecosystems, using Eudrilus eugeniae as a model species. Two experimental plots A and B, each measuring 15 m × 15 m (225 m²), were used as experimental units for glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides respectively. In each experimental plot, glyphosate or 2,4-D residues in the soil, were monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ratios “predicted environmental concentration/herbicide concentration in the soil” (PEC/CS) were used to characterize the risk posed to earthworm communities. Evaluation of earthworm exposure to 2,4-D resulted in PEC 50 /CS and PEC rep /CS ratios of below 1 during the 28 days after application of this herbicide. In contrast, for glyphosate, the PEC 50 /CS and PEC rep /CS ratios were greater than 1. Based on these results, 2,4-D based herbicide is an herbicide able to reduce earthworm populations, whereas glyphosate application in agroecosystem does not represent significant risk of lethality or reproduction towards earthworms. Earthworms Herbicide Glyphosate 2 4-D Agroecosystem Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 07 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 20 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Jun, 2025 Reviews received at journal 26 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 13 May, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 05 May, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 02 May, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 30 Apr, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6480282","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":452529194,"identity":"6f3ade6f-9354-4572-82d4-0b715818d3e1","order_by":0,"name":"Mamadou TOURE","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAzElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYPCCAwwM7A0MzCAmkMYPeOBaeA5AtABpYrVIJBCpxZ69x+zDx7Y78roz3xh+LqiwYeCRJqCHh+eM8cwZZ54ZbrudYyw940waAw9fAgEtEjnGzDwVhxmBWgykedsOM9jzEPILSMsfg8P2226eMf4N0sJDlBaGisOJ227wmEkTp+XMsWLGnjOHk7edSSuz5jmTxkNQC3t782aGn22HbbcdP7z5Nk+FjRxBLUiAwwBsLfEagBY+IEX1KBgFo2AUjCAAALY+PqtBDWh5AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Université Nangui ABROGOUA","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mamadou","middleName":"","lastName":"TOURE","suffix":""},{"id":452529196,"identity":"9c5762cb-08a6-4379-be72-a7aaa6d02c8b","order_by":1,"name":"Kouakou Gains Kpan KPAN","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Université Nangui ABROGOUA","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kouakou","middleName":"Gains Kpan","lastName":"KPAN","suffix":""},{"id":452529197,"identity":"e004948d-7e52-412e-bc2c-652799c8326b","order_by":2,"name":"N’guetta Moïse EHOUMAN","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Université Nangui ABROGOUA","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"N’guetta","middleName":"Moïse","lastName":"EHOUMAN","suffix":""},{"id":452529198,"identity":"57608ba3-ccd0-4ac6-b6c3-10dfbbe51bbf","order_by":3,"name":"Seydou TIHO","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Université Nangui ABROGOUA","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Seydou","middleName":"","lastName":"TIHO","suffix":""},{"id":452529199,"identity":"d8eabb5c-fe51-4532-b6ec-6251a47ae43e","order_by":4,"name":"Elie KABRE","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Elie","middleName":"","lastName":"KABRE","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-18 16:08:04","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6480282/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6480282/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Environmental risk associated with glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides: the case of earthworms in agroecosystems","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":false,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-environment","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Environment](https://www.springer.com/44274/)","snPcode":"44274","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44274/3","title":"Discover Environment","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Earthworms, Herbicide, Glyphosate, 2,4-D, Agroecosystem","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6480282/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6480282/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eHerbicides, are becoming the most widely used weed management method worldwide due to their numerous advantages, such as labor time reduction, and workforce requirements as well as improving crop yields. The recurrent use of glyphosate and 2,4-D needs an assessment of their environmental risks. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides on earthworms in tropical agroecosystems, using \u003cem\u003eEudrilus eugeniae\u003c/em\u003e as a model species. Two experimental plots A and B, each measuring 15 m \u0026times; 15 m (225 m\u0026sup2;), were used as experimental units for glyphosate and 2,4-D based herbicides respectively. In each experimental plot, glyphosate or 2,4-D residues in the soil, were monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ratios \u0026ldquo;predicted environmental concentration/herbicide concentration in the soil\u0026rdquo; (PEC/CS) were used to characterize the risk posed to earthworm communities. Evaluation of earthworm exposure to 2,4-D resulted in PEC\u003csub\u003e50\u003c/sub\u003e/CS and PEC\u003csub\u003erep\u003c/sub\u003e/CS ratios of below 1 during the 28 days after application of this herbicide. In contrast, for glyphosate, the PEC\u003csub\u003e50\u003c/sub\u003e/CS and PEC\u003csub\u003erep\u003c/sub\u003e/CS ratios were greater than 1. 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