Tobacco May Find New Use – As A 'Green' Pesticide

Tobacco, linked to lung cancer, emphysema and other ailments, might have a useful purpose after all.

 Researchers reporting their findings in the bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, conclude that tobacco might work well as a potential mass-produced alternative to traditional commercial pesticides.

Cedric Briens and colleagues note that concerns about the health risks of tobacco have reduced demand and hurt tobacco farmers in some parts of the world. Scientists, over the last decade, have been looking for new uses for tobacco.

Briens and his colleague think a potential use is as a natural pesticide, due to tobacco's content of toxic nicotine. Yes, the same addictive substance millions of people inhale might be helpful in killing off pests.

Time tested

This isn't exactly a new idea. For centuries, gardeners have used home-made mixtures of tobacco and water as a natural pesticide to kill insect pests. A "green" pesticide industry based on tobacco could provide additional income for farmers, and as well as a new eco-friendly pest-control agent, the scientists say.

The researchers have even devised what they think is a promising way to convert tobacco leaves into pesticides with pyrolysis. That process involves heating tobacco leaves to about 900 degrees Fahrenheit in a vacuum, to produce an unrefined substance called bio-oil.

The scientists tested tobacco bio-oil against a wide variety of insect pests, including 11 different fungi, four bacteria, and the Colorado potato beetle, a major agricultural pest that is increasingly resistant to current insecticides. The oil killed all of the beetles and blocked the growth of two types of bacteria and one fungus.