Transchem project - Part II: Transgenerational effects of long-term exposure to pendimethalin at environmental concentrations on the early development and viral pathogen susceptibility of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Dinitroaniline herbicides: a comprehensive review of toxicity and side effects on animal non-target organisms

The widespread use of herbicides has increased concern about the hazards and risks to animals living in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. A comprehensive understanding of their effective action at different levels of biological organization is critical for establishing guidelines to protect ecosystems and human health. Dinitroanilines are broad-spectrum pre-emergence herbicides currently used for weed control in the conventional agriculture. They are considered extremely safe agrochemicals because they act specifically on tubulin proteins and inhibit shoot and root growth of plants. However, there is a lack of toxicity information regarding the potential risk of exposure to non-target organisms. The aim of the present review is to focus on side effects of the most commonly used active ingredients, e.g. pendimethalin, oryzalin, trifluralin and benfluralin, on animal non-target cells of invertebrates and vertebrates. Acute toxicity varies from slightly to high in terrestrial and aquatic species (i.e. nematodes, earthworms, snails, insects, crustaceans, fish and mammals) depending on the species-specific ability of tested organisms to adsorb and discharge toxicants. Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and activation of oxidative stress pathways as well as alterations of physiological, metabolic, morphological, developmental and behavioural traits, reviewed here, indicate that exposure to sublethal concentrations of active ingredients poses a clear hazard to animals and humans. Further research is required to evaluate the molecular mechanisms of action of these herbicides in the animal cell and on biological functions at multiple levels, from organisms to communities, including the effects of commercial formulations.

Dinitroaniline herbicide pendimethalin affects development and induces biochemical and histological alterations in zebrafish early-life stages

Pendimethalin (PND) is a dinitroaniline preemergent herbicide widely used to control grasses and weeds. The present study aimed to evaluate the PND potential effects on the development of zebrafish early-life stages. The research focuses first on acute toxicity, followed by the integration of toxicity results through histopathology, oxidative status, and neurotoxicity evaluation of sublethal and environmentally relevant concentrations. Zebrafish larvae exposed to PND showed mortality and developed sublethal alterations including impaired fin development, lordosis, scoliosis, blood congestion, impaired blood flow, and reduced heartbeat. PND exposure (0.5 mg/L) affects musculoskeletal development leading to delayed and reduced ossification of the vertebral centra in the developing vertebral column and disruption of muscle morphology. Herbicide exposure (0.5 mg/L and 0.05 mg/L) led also to biochemical changes of antioxidant enzymes, increasing the activity of CAT, GR, and GPx, while no effects were observed on the activity of SOD and GST in zebrafish larvae. Lastly, AChE activity, a biochemical marker of neurotoxicity, was also increased in zebrafish larvae exposed to 0.5 mg/L of PND. These results confirm the developmental toxicity of PND in zebrafish early-life stages, pointing out the potential role of oxidative stress in the onset of sublethal alterations.

Changes in defense capacity to infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNv) in rainbow trout intergenerationally exposed to glyphosate

Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide active substance worldwide, has raised many scientific, political and public debates in the context of its recent re-registration in the European Union, highlighting in particular a lack of data concerning its potential generational effects. In this study, we investigated the intergenerational toxicity of this active substance used alone or coformulated in glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) on the ability of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to face a viral challenge. Juvenile trout from parents exposed for eight months to four different chemical exposure conditions (non-exposed control, pure glyphosate, Roundup Innovert®, and Viaglif Jardin® were experimentally infected with the infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNv). Various enzymatic and hemato-immunological markers were assessed before and after the viral challenge. Chemical contamination with GBHs strongly modulated viral trout susceptibility. Pure glyphosate induced a cumulative mortality of 35.8%, comparable to the control (37.0%), which was significantly reduced with Roundup Innovert® (-9.9%) and increased (+14.8%) with Viaglif Jardin®. No modification was observed for the biomarkers analysed for any conditions. These results demonstrate that the nature of the co-formulants associated to glyphosate in GHBs can modulate the susceptibility of fish to pathogens.

Susceptibility of pike Esox lucius to VHSV and IHNV and potential transmission to rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Determining the origin of recurrent outbreaks of fish diseases occurring on fish farms is essential for disease prevention and control measures. In this study, we investigated the potential reservoir role of wild fish species living near salmonid farms which were regularly found to be positive for viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). In addition to VHSV, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) was also isolated from several pike Esox lucius samples collected from a pond near the salmonid farms of interest. All isolates of VHSV and IHNV analyzed had 100% identical partial glycoprotein gene sequences. VHSV pike strain OO128-25 belonged to the Ia genotype and shared 99.1 to 99.5% nucleotide identity with strains recently isolated from the farms. IHNV pike strain OO121-8, European genotype, appeared to be different from strains from France characterized since the first isolation in 1987. Isolates representative of both viral species were highly virulent in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. OO128-25 induced 65% mortality in pike fingerlings, whereas only weak mortality was observed with OO121-8, despite characteristic symptoms in infected fish. High levels of specific antibodies to VHSV and IHNV were detected in adult pike in the absence of clinical signs. Infection of rainbow trout in contact with experimentally VHSV- or IHNV-infected pike fingerlings indicates possible horizontal transmission. These results suggest that pike could act as a reservoir for VHSV and IHNV in the wild, providing additional evidence to explain viral persistence and resurgence in certain areas.