ANÁLISE DE ESTUDOS PUBLICADOS SOBRE O HERBICIDA GLIFOSATO NO CONTEXTO DA QUÍMICA AMBIENTAL

Abstract

Chemical control with pesticides in crops is a widely used method in the management of agricultural pests. Herbicides, which act to control weeds, such as glyphosate, stand out. Glyphosate is an example of a phosphonate. It is characterized as a postemergence, non-selective herbicide. As for its mechanism of action, it acts as a potent inhibitor of the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPs), a catalyst of the synthesis reactions of amino acids, precursors of important compounds for plants. Glyphosate in soil has a high adsorption capacity. Studies seek to understand and explain the binding mechanisms between this compound and soil, observing that the most common are the exchange of ligands with iron and aluminum oxides and the hydrogen bonds formed between glyphosate and soil humic substances. The herbicide is degraded by two pathways: one pathway produces aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and the other leads to the formation of sarcosine and glycine as intermediate metabolites. Several studies have observed an increase in soil microbiological activity with the application of glyphosate. Considering the wide use of this herbicide, the remarkable importance of the agricultural sector for the world economy, the need to protect natural resources and Environmental Chemistry as a science that studies the chemical processes that occur in the environment, this paper analyzed the frequency of articles found in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) on glyphosate in the context of Environmental Chemistry, seeking to understand the directions of scientific research on this subject. It was observed that there have been advances in studies on glyphosate over the years, with 2019 being the year with the most publications on this theme. Regarding the authorship of the papers, most articles had multiple authorship, with 3 or more authors. It was also observed the predominance of male authorship in the papers about glyphosate in the context of Environmental Chemistry. It was possible to verify that Química Nova is the journal that most publishes articles with this focus. It was concluded that there is a need for greater attention to the theme in the area of Chemistry, considering that developing chemical processes that reduce or minimize the use of substances harmful to the environment should be part of the training of professionals in this area.