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Endosulfan Effects on Rana dalmatina Tadpoles: Quantitative Developmental and Behavioural Analysis

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Abstract

Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide that was recently labeled as a persistent organic pollutant, but it is still widely employed, particularly in developing countries. The goal of this study is to evaluate the acute (LC50) and chronic effects (developmental and behavioural traits) of this insecticide on Rana dalmatina tadpoles after exposure to ecologically relevant concentrations (0.005, 0.01, and 0.05 mg/L) by applying video-tracking techniques to evaluate the quantitative effect of endosulfan on amphibian behavioural patterns. The 96 h LC50 value was 0.074 mg endosulfan/L. Tadpoles chronically exposed to 0.01 and 0.05 mg endosulfan/L underwent high mortality rate, decreased larval growth, delayed development, and increased incidence of malformations, and they did not reach metamorphosis by the end of the experiment. Moreover, tadpoles exposed to these concentrations exhibited several abnormalities in swimming patterns, such as shorter distance moved, swirling, resting, and unusual use of space. The exposure to 0.005 mg endosulfan/L did not cause any significant effects on behaviour, larval growth, or development, but we observed a significant decrease in both survival and time to metamorphosis. We showed that developmental abnormalities are dose-dependent and that the pesticide effects could differ depending on the endosulfan concentration and the species tested. We also validated the hypothesis that behavioural analysis, along with the use of new analytical methods, could be a useful tool in amphibian ecotoxicological studies.

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Acknowledgments

Animal research procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Permit No. 2004/30911). This study was supported in part by a grant provided by Dottorato di Ricerca in Biologia Animale. M. Denoël is a research associate at the F.R.S.-FNRS (Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium). This research benefited from a F.R.F.C. Grant 2.4.507.08.F from the F.R.S.-FNRS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy

    Manuela Lavorato, Ilaria Bernabò, Antonio Crescente, Sandro Tripepi & Elvira Brunelli

  2. Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Behavioural Biology Unit, Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, University of Liège, 4020, Liege, Belgium

    Manuela Lavorato & Mathieu Denoël

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  1. Manuela Lavorato
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  2. Ilaria Bernabò
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  6. Elvira Brunelli
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Correspondence to Elvira Brunelli.

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Lavorato, M., Bernabò, I., Crescente, A. et al. Endosulfan Effects on Rana dalmatina Tadpoles: Quantitative Developmental and Behavioural Analysis. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 64, 253–262 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-012-9819-7

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