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Comparing the sensitivity of geographically distinct Lemna minor populations to atrazine

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Abstract

The objectives of this study were to compare the sensitivities of field populations and a laboratory culture of a duckweed species (Lemna minor) to the herbicide atrazine using three different endpoints and to determine whether sensitivity to atrazine was affected by past exposure to the herbicide. L. minor cultures were purchased commercially or collected from field sites within an agricultural watershed and exposed to atrazine for 7 days under greenhouse conditions. Populations differed significantly in their sensitivity to atrazine. Biomass was more sensitive than frond number, while chlorophyll fluorescence was not a sensitive endpoint. Overall, the sensitivity of the various populations to atrazine was not strongly related to measures of past exposure to agriculture stressors. Positive correlations between biomass twenty-five percent inhibition concentrations (IC25s), biomass estimated marginal means and in-stream atrazine concentrations were observed, providing evidence that atrazine exposure is linked to a decrease in sensitivity to atrazine. However, IC25s generated for each population were similar, ranging from 19 to 40 and 57 to 92 μg/L atrazine for biomass and frond data respectively, and likely do not represent biologically significant differences in atrazine sensitivity. Given the small range in sensitivity observed between populations, commercial laboratory cultures appear to provide a good estimate of the sensitivity of field populations of L. minor to atrazine and should continue to be used in regulatory phytotoxicity testing.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was funded through grants to F. R. Pick from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (DG 36751) and to C. Boutin from Environment Canada’s Pesticide Science Fund. The authors wish to thank Philippe Thomas for analysis of GIS land use data.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ottawa-Carleton Institute of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Rebecca L. Dalton, Christina Nussbaumer, Frances R. Pick & Céline Boutin

  2. Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel by Drive, Raven Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada

    Céline Boutin

Authors
  1. Rebecca L. Dalton
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  2. Christina Nussbaumer
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  3. Frances R. Pick
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  4. Céline Boutin
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Correspondence to Rebecca L. Dalton.

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Dalton, R.L., Nussbaumer, C., Pick, F.R. et al. Comparing the sensitivity of geographically distinct Lemna minor populations to atrazine. Ecotoxicology 22, 718–730 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-013-1064-y

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