Tracing pesticides through terrestrial food webs with wildlife at risk

Pesticides support food production but can pose ecological risks through trophic transfer in terrestrial ecosystems. Current approaches integrating contamination evidence across trophic levels with toxicokinetic and spatial models remain limited for wildlife. Here, we present an integrative framework linking empirical contamination data, physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, and spatial risk mapping to evaluate pesticide transfer across terrestrial food webs. Using published data from 100 studies across 30 countries, we calculated relative contamination scores for soils, plants, and wildlife and reconstructed average daily doses for representative herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. Hazard quotients and ecological carcinogenic risks were estimated using international toxicological benchmarks. Results show pronounced spatial heterogeneity and evidence of trophic magnification for several persistent organic pollutants, with higher modeled risks in carnivores than herbivores under comparable environmental burdens. Geographic coverage remains uneven, limiting global inference. The framework is scalable but broader empirical data and independent validation are needed for robust generalizations.