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Acute Toxicity and Etho-toxicity of Three Insecticides Used for Mosquito Control on Amphibian Tadpoles

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Abstract

Among the measures used to manage mosquito populations and prevent human diseases, the application of pesticides is the global strategy mostly employed. To investigate the lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides used to control mosquitoes on amphibians (Rhinella arenarum, Rhinella fernandezae, and Physalaemus albonotatus), tadpoles were exposed to commercial formulations of temephos (Abate®), Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Introban®), and permethrin (Depe®). Their acute toxicity in terms of median lethal concentration (LC50) and no- (NOEC) and lowest-observed-effect concentrations (LOEC) was evaluated. To assess the sublethal effects on behavioral endpoints, tadpoles were exposed to the NOEC-24-h value of each insecticide. After that, tadpoles were recorded and video-streaming data were processed by Smart® software. Based on LC50, permethrin was the most toxic insecticide, followed by temephos and B. thuringiensis var. israelensis. Also, intraspecific and interspecific susceptibilities of tadpoles to insecticides were observed. Regarding behavior, the exposure of R. arenarum to the three insecticides had a significant effect on all behavioral endpoints. Two of the three swimming parameters evaluated for R. fernandezae were affected by permethrin, and in the end, only one behavioral pattern was altered in P. albonotatus after exposure to temephos. These results showed that tadpoles’ species were affected differently depending on the chemical properties of the pesticide and on a dose-response effect of the insecticides. Overall, our study suggests that further research is needed to quantify the potential damage of pyrethroid insecticides used for mosquito control on non-target aquatic organisms, mainly due to etho-toxic effects.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part by the National Agency for Promotion of Science and Technology (ANPCyT-FONCyT PICT) and the Course of Action for Research and Science Promotion (CAI + D-UNL).

Author Contributions

Celina M. Junges, Mariana I. Maglianese, and Rafael C. Lajmanovich conceived and designed the experiments. Rafael C. Lajmanovich and Andrés M. Attademo collected the amphibian species. Celina M. Junges and Paola M. Peltzer contributed writing and revising the paper. All authors reviewed the manuscript and approved the final version.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, FBCB-UNL, Paraje el Pozo s/n (3000), Santa Fe, Argentina

    C. M. Junges, R. C. Lajmanovich, P. M. Peltzer & A. M. Attademo

  2. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, FBCB-UNL, Paraje el Pozo s/n (3000), Santa Fe, Argentina

    C. M. Junges, M. I. Maglianese, R. C. Lajmanovich, P. M. Peltzer & A. M. Attademo

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  1. C. M. Junges
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  2. M. I. Maglianese
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  3. R. C. Lajmanovich
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Correspondence to C. M. Junges.

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All procedures performed in this study involving animals were in accordance with the ASIH (2004) criteria and ethical standards of the animal ethics committee of the Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, FBCB Res. CD no. 388/06.

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Junges, C.M., Maglianese, M.I., Lajmanovich, R.C. et al. Acute Toxicity and Etho-toxicity of Three Insecticides Used for Mosquito Control on Amphibian Tadpoles. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 143 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3324-6

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