Biodiesel as a carrier for pesticide formulations: a green chemistry approach

This article discusses the present status and future scope of biodiesel as a carrier/diluents and alternative source to hazardous volatile organic compounds for liquid pesticide formulations. Development of user and environment-friendly liquid pesticide formulations for sustainable agriculture is the key focus of today's agrochemical industries. Organic solvents play an important role in ensuring the efficient distribution and delivery of active ingredients (a.i.) during application of liquid pesticide formulations. Presently used petroleum-based solvents have many disadvantages such as low flash points, high volatility, flammability, phytotoxicity, and inhalation problems to users, etc. However, at present it seems that the use of renewable resources, especially plant oils, oils ester (fatty acids alkyl ester) like biodiesel has the capacity to replace the traditional petroleum-based solvents in liquid pesticide formulations with having sustainable characteristics like high flash point, safer storage, transportation and application. Biodiesel which is easily reproducible from waste cooking oil, waste edible oil, animal fat, etc. may be a suitable alternative green solvent for liquid pesticide formulations in the near future.