Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Direct and Indirect Effects of the Fungicide Carbendazim in Tropical Freshwater Microcosms

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Direct and indirect effects of the fungicide carbendazim on ecosystem structure and functioning were studied ≤8 weeks after application (nominal concentrations: 0, 3.3, 33, 100, and 1000 μg/L) to outdoor microcosms in Thailand. Direct effects on macroinvertebrates are discussed in detail in a separate article. The present article presents the effects on other end points and discusses the hypothesized ecologic effect chain. Negative treatment effects on the zooplankton community were only recorded for the highest carbendazim treatment (NOECcommunity = 100 μg/L). The rotifer Keratella tropica, cladocerans (Moina micrura, Ceriodaphnia cornuta, and Diaphanosoma sp.), and cyclopoid copepods were decreased or even eliminated at this treatment level. The decrease in zooplankton and macroinvertebrate abundances was accompanied by an increase in numbers of several tolerant invertebrates, presumably caused by a release from competition and predation. The death of sensitive invertebrates probably also led to an overall decreased grazing pressure because increased levels of chlorophyll-a and bloom of the floating macrophyte Wolffia sp. were noted. The increase in primary producers is discussed to be the probable cause of changes in physicochemical water conditions, eventually resulting in an anoxic water layer during the last 3 weeks of the experiment. This is likely to have resulted in decreased invertebrate abundances noted in that period. Furthermore, the decreased decomposition of Musa (banana) leaves observed 8 weeks after application is considered to be the indirect effect of a decreased microbial activity resulting from these anoxic water conditions, rather than a direct toxic effect of carbendazim.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

References

  • Alekseev VR (2002) Copepoda. In: Fernando CH (ed) A guide to tropical freshwater zooplankton. Backhuys, Leiden, The Netherlands, pp 123–187

    Google Scholar 

  • American Public Health Association (1992) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. American Public Health Organization, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdeau P, Haines JA, Klein W, Murti CRK (1989) Ecotoxicology and climate; with special reference to hot and cold climates. St. Edmundsbury Press, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, Great Britain

    Google Scholar 

  • Brock TCM, Lahr J, Van den Brink PJ (2000) Ecological risk of pesticides in freshwater ecosystems. Part 1: Herbicides. Alterra report 088, Wageningen, The Netherlands

  • Brock TCM, Crum SJH, Deneer JW, Heimbach F, Roijackers RMM, Sinkeldam JA (2004) Comparing aquatic risk assessment methods for the photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides metribuzin and metamitron. Environ Pollut 130:403–426

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell IC, Parnrong S (2001) Limnology in Thailand: present status and future needs. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 27:2135–2141

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson NOL, Brönmark C, Hansson LA (2004) Invading herbivory: the golden apple snail alters ecosystem functioning in Asian wetlands. Ecology 85:1575–1580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chunyanuwat P (2005) Thailand. In: Proceedings of the Asia regional workshop on the implementation, monitoring and observance of the international code of conduct on the distribution and use of pesticides. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, July 26–28, 2005, Bangkok, Thailand, pp 176–183

  • Corbari L, Carbonel P, Massabuau JC (2004) How a low tissue O2 strategy could be conserved in early crustaceans: the example of the podocopid ostracods. J Exp Biol 207:4415–4425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuppen JGM, Van den Brink PJ, Camps E, Uil KF, Brock TCM (2000) Impact of the fungicide carbendazim in freshwater microcosms. I. Water quality, breakdown of particulate organic matter and responses of macroinvertebrates. Aquat Toxicol 48:233–250

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daam MA, Satapornvanit K, Van den Brink PJ, Nogueira AJA (2009) Sensitivity of macroinvertebrates to carbendazim under semi-field conditions in Thailand: implications for the use of temperate toxicity data in a tropical risk assessment of fungicides. Chemosphere 74:1187–1194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Domingues I, Guilhermo L, Soares AMVM, Nogueira AJA, Monoghan KA (2009) Influence of exposure scenario on pesticide toxicity in the midge Kiefferulus calligaster (Kieffer). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 72:450–457

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dudgeon D (1999) Tropical Asian streams; zoobenthos, ecology and conservation. Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong

    Google Scholar 

  • Ecobichon DJ (2001) Pesticide use in developing countries. Toxicology 160:27–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hommen U, Veith D, Dülmer U (1994) A computer program to evaluate plankton data from freshwater field tests. In: Hill IR, Heimbach F, Leeuwangh P, Matthiessen P (eds) Freshwater field tests for hazard assessment of chemicals. Lewis, Boca Raton, FL, pp 503–513

    Google Scholar 

  • Jungbluth F (2000) Economic analysis of crop protection in citrus production in central Thailand. Special Issue Publication Series No. 4, University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

  • Kutikova LA (2002) Rotifera. In: Fernando CH (ed) A guide to tropical freshwater zooplankton. Backhuys, Leiden, The Netherlands, pp 23–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwok KWH, Leung KMY, Chu VKH, Lam PKS, Morritt D, Maltby L et al (2007) Comparison of tropical and temperate freshwater species sensitivities to chemicals: implications for deriving safe extrapolation factors. Integr Environ Assess Manag 3:49–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moed JR, Hallegraeff GM (1987) Some problems in the estimation of chlorophyll-a and phaeopigments from pre- and post-acidification spectrophotometric measurements. Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie 63:787–800

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morris PF, Barker WG (1977) Oxygen transport rates through mats of Lemna minor and Wolffia sp. and oxygen tension within and below the mat. Can J Bot 55:1926–1932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pingali PL (1997) Living with reduced insecticide use for tropical rice in Asia. Food Policy 22:107–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preston BL, Snell TW, Dusenbery DB (1999) The effects of sublethal pentachlorophenol exposure on predation risk in freshwater rotifer species. Aquat Toxicol 47:93–105

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Racke KD (2003) What do we know about the fate of pesticides in tropical ecosystems? ACS Sym Ser 853:96–123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roessink I, Crum SJH, Bransen F, Van Leeuwen E, Van Kerkum F, Koelmans AA et al (2006) Impact of triphenyltin acetate in microcosms simulating floodplain lakes. I. Influence of sediment quality. Ecotoxicology 15:267–293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satapornvanit K, Baird DJ, Little DC, Milwain GK, Van den Brink PJ, Beltman WHJ et al (2004) Risks of pesticide use in aquatic ecosystems adjacent to mixed vegetable and monocrop fruit growing areas in Thailand. Aust J Ecotoxicol 10:85–95

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Segers H (2001) Zoogeography of the Southeast Asian Rotifera. Hydrobiologia 446/447:233–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slijkerman DME, Baird DJ, Conrad A, Jak RG, Van Straalen NM (2004) Assessing structural and functional plankton responses to carbendazim. Environ Toxicol Chem 23:455–462

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak CJF, Smilauer P (2002) CANOCO reference manual and CanoDraw for windows user’s guide. Software for canonical community ordination (version 4.5). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Thapinta A, Hudak PF (2000) Pesticide use and residual occurrence in Thailand. Environ Monit Assess 60:103–114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Brink PJ, Hattink J, Bransen F, Van Donk E, Brock TCM (2000) Impact of the fungicide carbendazim in freshwater microcosms. II. Zooplankton, primary producers and final conclusions. Aquat Toxicol 48:251–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Victor R (2002) Ostracoda. In: Fernando CH (ed) A guide to tropical freshwater zooplankton. Backhuys, Leiden, The Netherlands, pp 189–233

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Portuguese government (scholarship SFRH/BD/8213/2002) and the European Commission’s INCO: International Scientific Cooperation Projects (MAMAS project, contract number ICA4-2000-10247). The authors are indebted to P. Yang-ngarm for nutrient analysis and to the staff of the AIT hatchery for technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Michiel A. Daam & António J. A. Nogueira

  2. Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Technical University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    Michiel A. Daam

  3. Department of Fishery Biology, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Chatujak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Kriengkrai Satapornvanit

  4. Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Paul J. Van den Brink

  5. Department of Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8080, 6700 DD, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Paul J. Van den Brink

Authors
  1. Michiel A. Daam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kriengkrai Satapornvanit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paul J. Van den Brink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. António J. A. Nogueira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michiel A. Daam.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Daam, M.A., Satapornvanit, K., Van den Brink, P.J. et al. Direct and Indirect Effects of the Fungicide Carbendazim in Tropical Freshwater Microcosms. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 58, 315–324 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9367-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9367-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation