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Chironomus sancticaroli (Diptera, Chironomidae) as a Sensitive Tropical Test Species in Laboratory Bioassays Evaluating Metals (Copper and Cadmium) and Field Testing

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Abstract

Despite that chironomids are the most widely used benthic insect test species worldwide, little research has been conducted so far with tropical chironomid representatives. This study was designed to evaluate the indigenous midge Chironomus sancticaroli as a candidate test species for use in tropical toxicity assessments. To this end, laboratory water-only toxicity tests were conducted evaluating copper and cadmium. Obtained lethal concentration values were overall comparable or lower than those reported for other chironomids, including those most commonly used in temperate regions (C. riparius and C. dilutus). In addition, C. sancticaroli was deployed in situ in the Monjolinho River (São Paulo State, Brazil), and toxicity of sediment from this river was evaluated in the laboratory. Several field water and sediment quality parameters also were measured to enable correlating these with the effects observed in these toxicity tests. Field sediment toxicity to C. sancticaroli appeared to be related with sediment endosulfan concentrations, whereas effects noted in the in situ test were likely due to low pH values measured in river water. Chironomus sancticaroli appears to be a suitable candidate for inclusion as a test species in tropical toxicity evaluations in both the laboratory and the field.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Brazilian research support agency CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento Pessoal de Nivel Superior) for the doctoral scholarship given to the second author and to the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (FAPESP: Process 10494-6/2002) for financial support. This work also was supported by the Brazilian government through the Special Visiting Researcher program (MEC/MCTI/CAPES/CNPq/FAPs reference 402392/2013-2) and the Portuguese government (FCT) through a postdoc grant for the last author (SFRH/BPD/109199/2015) and the research unit UID/AMB/04085/2013 (CENSE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Animal Science, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Av. Brasil, No 56, Ilha Solteira, SP, 15.385-000, Brazil

    Carolina Buso Dornfeld

  2. Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rod. Presidente Dutra, km 137,8, São José dos Campos, SP, 12.247-004, Brazil

    Suzelei Rodgher & Rogério Galante Negri

  3. NEEA/CRHEA/SHS, São Carlos Engineering School, University of São Paulo, Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, São Carlos, 13.560-970, Brazil

    Evaldo Luiz Gaeta Espíndola

  4. CENSE, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    Michiel A. Daam

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  1. Carolina Buso Dornfeld
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Correspondence to Suzelei Rodgher.

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Dornfeld, C.B., Rodgher, S., Negri, R.G. et al. Chironomus sancticaroli (Diptera, Chironomidae) as a Sensitive Tropical Test Species in Laboratory Bioassays Evaluating Metals (Copper and Cadmium) and Field Testing. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 76, 42–50 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-018-0575-1

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