Research progress on substitution of harmful organic solvent in pesticide emulsifiable concentrates

The emulsifiable concentrates containing harmful organic solvents such as benzene, toluene, xylene, etc. could pose potential risks to the ecological environment and human health due to their low flash points, easy volatility, and high toxicity. This paper reviewed the usage of organic solvents in pesticide emulsifiable concentrates, highlighted their potential hazards, and introduced the research progress of organic solvents substitution by bio-based solvents, mineral-based solvents, and artificially synthetic solvents. These eco-friendly alternative solvents with low toxicity showed good potential in the application of emulsifiable concentrates. However, the selection of alternative solvents through experiments was time-consuming and labor-intensive. The application of COSMO-RS thermodynamic model was based on the theoretical prediction of pesticide solubility in alternative solvents, and was verified by experiments in the laboratory. It could accelerate the screening of alternative solvents with less time and materials, which is helpful to the development of eco-friendly emulsifiable concentrates.