Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 21 hours ago
Currently, we are spreading tons of pesticides out on the ground, 30% of which do not perform their intended purpose. After application, pesticides tend to degrade, with their residues remaining not only in the plants but also in various environmental matrices.
A big problem with pesticides is the chiral compounds created during production. Two things are chiral when they are both mirror images of each other. These are enantiomers. While this may not sound like a big deal, on the molecular level, these (seemingly slight) differences can have vastly diverse effects on people and the surrounding environment. Generally, while one enantiomer is the active one, the other, is often, not only an ineffective pesticide, but it could also have more harmful effects.
During the production of these compounds, imagine the flipping of a coin. When the coin lands on heads, the "active" enantiomer is created, but when tails, the inactive appears. This process repeats over and over until we have the final product.
So, why don't companies remove the inactive enantiomers? The simple answer: Money. It's extremely expensive to remove the unwanted compounds from the mix. The health of our planet is not worth sacrificing this bottom line.
Since the best solution of creating a single-enantiomer compound is not feasible due to its cost-intensiveness, INITIO steps in with a low-cost alternative.
Their process involves using an array of chemical sensors which work like a nose, recognizing the good and the bad enantiomers in pesticides. These sensors monitor different environmental scenarios and provide alarm signals when hazardous chemicals are accumulating and, thus jeopardizing the ecosystem.
Through the extensive use of these sensors, you can avoid the accumulation and harmful effects of these inactive, and toxic, enantiomers and contribute to the preservation of the world around us.
To find out more and to minimize the risks from toxic enantiomers visit: project-initio.eu
Currently, we are spreading tons of pesticides out on the ground, 30% of which do not perform their intended purpose. After application, pesticides tend to degrade, with their residues remaining not only in the plants but also in various environmental matrices.
A big problem with pesticides is the chiral compounds created during production. Two things are chiral when they are both mirror images of each other. These are enantiomers. While this may not sound like a big deal, on the molecular level, these (seemingly slight) differences can have vastly diverse effects on people and the surrounding environment. Generally, while one enantiomer is the active one, the other, is often, not only an ineffective pesticide, but it could also have more harmful effects.
During the production of these compounds, imagine the flipping of a coin. When the coin lands on heads, the "active" enantiomer is created, but when tails, the inactive appears. This process repeats over and over until we have the final product.
So, why don't companies remove the inactive enantiomers? The simple answer: Money. It's extremely expensive to remove the unwanted compounds from the mix. The health of our planet is not worth sacrificing this bottom line.
Since the best solution of creating a single-enantiomer compound is not feasible due to its cost-intensiveness, INITIO steps in with a low-cost alternative.
Their process involves using an array of chemical sensors which work like a nose, recognizing the good and the bad enantiomers in pesticides. These sensors monitor different environmental scenarios and provide alarm signals when hazardous chemicals are accumulating and, thus jeopardizing the ecosystem.
Through the extensive use of these sensors, you can avoid the accumulation and harmful effects of these inactive, and toxic, enantiomers and contribute to the preservation of the world around us.
To find out more and to minimize the risks from toxic enantiomers visit: project-initio.eu
