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Assessing interactive mixture toxicity of carbamate and organophosphorus insecticides in the yabby (Cherax destructor)

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Abstract

Carbamate (CB) and organophosphorus (OP) pesticides are commonly detected in aquatic ecosystems and predominantly occur as mixtures of varying complexity. These pesticides inhibit the activity of total cholinesterase (ChE) and thus have the potential to interfere with behaviours that may be essential for the survival of aquatic species. Although the effects of individual ChE insecticides on aquatic species have been reported for decades, the neurotoxicity of mixtures is still poorly understood. This study examined the chronic toxicities of two OP insecticides (chlorpyrifos (CPF) and malathion (MAL)) and one carbamate insecticide (methomyl (METH)) in binary and ternary mixtures on the ChE activity of the yabby (C. destructor). Using the concentration addition approach to estimate mixture toxicity, the observed inhibition of ChE activity caused by all binary mixtures of CPF plus MAL, CPF plus METH and MAL plus METH was additive. In ternary mixtures, all combinations of CPF, MAL and METH were either additive or antagonistic depending on the relative ratios of these chemicals in the mixtures. The effect of mixtures of these three insecticides on C. destructor has not previously been assessed, and the data suggest that individual chemical risk assessments are likely to incorrectly estimate the effect of these insecticides on C. destructor in the aquatic environment where combinations of such chemicals occur.

Highlights

  • AChE activity inhibition caused by both binary and tertiary mixtures was dependent on the relative ratios of these chemicals in the mixtures.

  • All combinations of CPF, MAL and METH conformed to less than additive and antagonistic.

  • Data suggests that individual chemical risk assessments are likely to incorrectly estimate the effect of these insecticides.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the 165 scholarship of Vietnam for sponsorship of the PhD scholarship given to BP (no. 5902 QD/BTCTW). BP gratefully acknowledges the support of staff and students in the Ecotoxicology Research Lab, School of Science, RMIT University.

Funding

This work was funded by the College of Science, Engineering and Health, and School of Science, RMIT University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora West Campus, Victoria, 3083, Australia

    Ben Pham, Ana Miranda & Dayanthi Nugegoda

  2. School of Science, RMIT University, City Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia

    Graeme Allinson

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  1. Ben Pham
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  2. Ana Miranda
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  4. Dayanthi Nugegoda
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Correspondence to Ben Pham.

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Ethical approval

This article does contain studies with animals performed by the authors, however juvenile yabbies (juvenile crayfish) do not currently require an approval from an animal ethics committee in Australia.

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Pham, B., Miranda, A., Allinson, G. et al. Assessing interactive mixture toxicity of carbamate and organophosphorus insecticides in the yabby (Cherax destructor). Ecotoxicology 27, 1217–1224 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-018-1973-x

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