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Fergusson KN, Tanner JL, Brand JA, Hannington SL, Pettersen AK, Sundin J, Saaristo M, Bertram MG, Martin JM, Wong BBM. Effects of long-term fluoxetine exposure on morphology, but not behaviour or metabolic rate, in male guppies (Poecilia reticulata). AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2024; 276:107082. [PMID: 39270523 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2024.107082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Contamination of aquatic ecosystems by pharmaceuticals is a growing threat worldwide. The antidepressant fluoxetine is one such pharmaceutical that is frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems, and has been found to alter the behaviour and physiology of exposed wildlife. Few studies, however, have investigated potential combined effects on behaviour and metabolic rate. In addition, exposures are often short in duration and rarely conducted under ecologically relevant conditions. Here, we examined the impacts of long-term fluoxetine exposure on boldness (exploration, activity, and antipredator behaviour), metabolic rate, and morphology in male guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Specifically, fish were exposed for 8 months (corresponding to approximately two overlapping generations) in semi-natural mesocosms to one of three treatments: an unexposed control (0 ng L-1), or low or high fluoxetine (mean measured concentrations: 30 ng L-1 and 292 ng L-1, respectively). Following exposure, we quantified male exploratory behaviour and activity in a novel environment (maze arena) and antipredator behaviour in the presence or absence of a live predator (spangled perch, Leiopotherapon unicolor), as well as metabolic rate and morphology (mass, standard length, and scaled mass index). Fluoxetine exposure did not significantly alter boldness, metabolic rate, mass, or standard length. However, fluoxetine exposure did alter body condition, whereby fish in the high treatment had a higher scaled mass index than control fish. Our results, considered alongside previous work, underscore the importance of exposure duration in mediating the effects of fluoxetine on fitness-related traits. Continued research under extended exposure periods (i.e., spanning multiple generations) is essential if we are to accurately predict the ecological impacts of fluoxetine on exposed wildlife, and their underlying mechanism(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate N Fergusson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
| | - James L Tanner
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Jack A Brand
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden.
| | | | - Amanda K Pettersen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Josefin Sundin
- Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Drottningholm, Sweden.
| | - Minna Saaristo
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Environment Protection Authority Victoria, EPA Science, Macleod, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Michael G Bertram
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jake M Martin
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden; Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, Australia.
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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2
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Polverino G, Aich U, Brand JA, Bertram MG, Martin JM, Tan H, Soman VR, Mason RT, Wong BBM. Sex-specific effects of psychoactive pollution on behavioral individuality and plasticity in fish. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:969-978. [PMID: 37969553 PMCID: PMC10636733 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The global rise of pharmaceutical contaminants in the aquatic environment poses a serious threat to ecological and evolutionary processes. Studies have traditionally focused on the collateral (average) effects of psychoactive pollutants on ecologically relevant behaviors of wildlife, often neglecting effects among and within individuals, and whether they differ between males and females. We tested whether psychoactive pollutants have sex-specific effects on behavioral individuality and plasticity in guppies (Poecilia reticulata), a freshwater species that inhabits contaminated waterways in the wild. Fish were exposed to fluoxetine (Prozac) for 2 years across multiple generations before their activity and stress-related behavior were repeatedly assayed. Using a Bayesian statistical approach that partitions the effects among and within individuals, we found that males-but not females-in fluoxetine-exposed populations differed less from each other in their behavior (lower behavioral individuality) than unexposed males. In sharp contrast, effects on behavioral plasticity were observed in females-but not in males-whereby exposure to even low levels of fluoxetine resulted in a substantial decrease (activity) and increase (freezing behavior) in the behavioral plasticity of females. Our evidence reveals that psychoactive pollution has sex-specific effects on the individual behavior of fish, suggesting that males and females might not be equally vulnerable to global pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Polverino
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, L.go dell'Università snc, Viterbo, 01100, Italy
| | - Upama Aich
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jack A Brand
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael G Bertram
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-907 36, Umeå,Sweden
| | - Jake M Martin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-907 36, Umeå,Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18b114 18, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hung Tan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vrishin R Soman
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, 370 Jay Street, Brooklyn, 11201, NY, USA
| | - Rachel T Mason
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, 3125, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bob B M Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 25 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia
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3
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Bhattacharyya S, Bray JP, Gupta A, Gupta S, Nichols SJ, Kefford BJ. Short-term insecticide exposure amid co-occurring stressors reduces diversity and densities in north-east Indian experimental aquatic invertebrate communities. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 264:106691. [PMID: 37866165 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Globally, river pesticide concentrations are associated with regional and local stream invertebrate diversity declines. Pesticides often co-occur with elevated nutrients (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediments related to agriculture, making their individual effects difficult to disentangle. These effects are also less well studied in Asia, than in other geographic regions. Within Asia, India is one of the largest producers and users of pesticides and has approximately 60% of total land mass used for agriculture. Here we examine the responses of Indian river invertebrate communities subjected to malathion, nutrients, and sediment additions in a semi-orthogonal design, in three sequential (through time) short-term (120 h) mesocosm experiments. Additionally, a series of single-species toxicity tests were run that used 24 h exposure and 72 h recovery to examine the sensitivity of 13 local invertebrate taxa to malathion, and 9 taxa to cypermethrin, comparing these results to those from other biogeographic regions. Mesocosm results indicate that malathion exposure had a major effect compared to other stressors on communities, with a lesser effect of nutrients and/or sediments. In mesocosms, taxa richness, total abundance and the abundance of sensitive species all declined associated with malathion concentrations. Comparisons of organism sensitivities from other geographic locations and those in the current paper suggest taxa in India are relatively tolerant to malathion and cypermethrin. Our results further reinforce that the high observed aquatic pesticide concentrations known to occur in Asian freshwater ecosystems are likely to be negatively affecting biodiversity, homogenising biota towards those most stress tolerant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurav Bhattacharyya
- Assam University, Silchar, Assam, India; DIMES, University of Calabria, Via Pietro Bucci, Cubo 42A, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Jon P Bray
- Centre for Applied Water Sciences, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia; Department of Pest Management and Conservation, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand; The Centre for One Biosecurity Research, Analysis and Synthesis, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.
| | | | | | - Susan J Nichols
- Centre for Applied Water Sciences, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ben J Kefford
- Centre for Applied Water Sciences, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
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4
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Thoré ESJ, Vanden Berghen B, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Long-term exposure to a pharmaceutical pollutant affects geotaxic behaviour in the adult but not juvenile life stage of killifish. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 876:162746. [PMID: 36907389 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems around the world are increasingly polluted with pharmaceutical compounds that may perturb wildlife behaviour. Because many pharmaceuticals are continuously present in the aquatic environment, animals are often exposed to them across several life stages or even their entire life. Despite a large body of literature showing various impacts of exposure to pharmaceuticals on fish, hardly any long-term studies across different life stages have been conducted which makes it hard to accurately estimate the ecological outcomes of pharmaceutical pollution. Here, we performed a laboratory experiment in which we exposed hatchlings of the fish model Nothobranchius furzeri to an environmentally relevant concentration (0.5 μg/L) of the antidepressant fluoxetine until well into adulthood. We monitored total body length and geotaxic behaviour (i.e. gravity-mediated activity) of each fish as two traits that are ecologically relevant and naturally differ between juvenile and adult killifish. Fish exposed to fluoxetine were smaller compared to control fish, an effect that became more apparent as fish aged. Even though fluoxetine did not affect average swimming depth of either juveniles or adults, nor the time spent at the surface or bottom of the water column, exposed fish changed their position in the water column (depth) more frequently in the adult but not juvenile phase. These results suggest that important morphological and behavioural responses to pharmaceutical exposure-and their potential ecological consequences-may only emerge later in time and/or during specific life stages. Therefore, our results highlight the importance of considering ecologically relevant timescales across developmental stages when studying the ecotoxicology of pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; TRANSfarm - Science, Engineering & Technology Group, KU Leuven, Lovenjoel, Belgium.
| | - Birgit Vanden Berghen
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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5
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Tilgar V. Sex-Specific Effects of Blood Serotonin on Reproductive Effort in a Small Passerine. Physiol Biochem Zool 2023; 96:75-85. [PMID: 36626843 DOI: 10.1086/722132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractLaboratory animal models have shown that blood serotonin levels reflect consistent individual differences in behavioral decision-making and maternal behavior. Serotonin could also help to understand intraspecific variation in reproductive strategies, although the mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, the relationships of plasma serotonin with breeding parameters and parental behavior were examined in wild great tits (Parus major). Females who laid eggs earlier had higher levels of serotonin in the second half of the nestling period, while no significant relationship of serotonin with clutch size, brood size, and body size was detected. In males, serotonin levels were negatively related to clutch size and brood size and positively related to body size. The association of serotonin with provisioning behavior was sex specific, and acute fear stress induced by a predator presentation did not change this relationship. Food provisioning was positively related to size-corrected serotonin levels in females and negatively related to size-corrected serotonin levels in males. These results suggest that peripheral serotonin is a sensitive marker of parental behavior and reproductive effort in wild birds, while the mechanisms linking this neurotransmitter to reproduction are probably mediated by interplay between the serotonergic system, sex hormones, and other neurotransmitters.
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6
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Philippe C, Thoré ESJ, Verbesselt S, Grégoir AF, Brendonck L, Pinceel T. Combined effects of global warming and chlorpyrifos exposure on the annual fish Nothobranchius furzeri. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 248:114290. [PMID: 36403300 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Global warming and environmental pollution threaten aquatic ecosystems. While interactive effects between both stressors can have more than additive consequences, these remain poorly studied for most taxa. Especially chronic exposure trials with vertebrates are scarce due to the high time- and monetary costs of such studies. We use the recently-established fish model Nothobranchius furzeri to assess the separate and combined effects of exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos (at 2 µg/L and 4 µg/L) and a 2 °C temperature increase. We performed a full life-cycle assessment to evaluate fitness-related endpoints including survival, total body length, maturation time, fecundity, critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and locomotor activity. Exposure to 4 µg/L chlorpyrifos slowed down male maturation, reduced fecundity and impaired growth of the fish. While the temperature increase did not affect any of the measured endpoints on its own, the combination of exposure to 2 µg/L CPF with an increase of 2 °C reduced growth and severely reduced fecundity, with almost no offspring production. Together, these findings suggest that climate change may exacerbate the impact of environmental pollution, and that interactive effects of chronic exposure to multiple stressors should be considered to predict how populations will be affected by ongoing global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Philippe
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Verbesselt
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Burgemeester Van Gansberghelaan 92 box 1 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Arnout F Grégoir
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa; PMC Coasts Rivers and Cities, Witteveen + Bos, Posthoflei 5, B-2600 Berchem, Belgium
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7
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Bertram MG, Martin JM, McCallum ES, Alton LA, Brand JA, Brooks BW, Cerveny D, Fick J, Ford AT, Hellström G, Michelangeli M, Nakagawa S, Polverino G, Saaristo M, Sih A, Tan H, Tyler CR, Wong BB, Brodin T. Frontiers in quantifying wildlife behavioural responses to chemical pollution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1346-1364. [PMID: 35233915 PMCID: PMC9543409 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Animal behaviour is remarkably sensitive to disruption by chemical pollution, with widespread implications for ecological and evolutionary processes in contaminated wildlife populations. However, conventional approaches applied to study the impacts of chemical pollutants on wildlife behaviour seldom address the complexity of natural environments in which contamination occurs. The aim of this review is to guide the rapidly developing field of behavioural ecotoxicology towards increased environmental realism, ecological complexity, and mechanistic understanding. We identify research areas in ecology that to date have been largely overlooked within behavioural ecotoxicology but which promise to yield valuable insights, including within- and among-individual variation, social networks and collective behaviour, and multi-stressor interactions. Further, we feature methodological and technological innovations that enable the collection of data on pollutant-induced behavioural changes at an unprecedented resolution and scale in the laboratory and the field. In an era of rapid environmental change, there is an urgent need to advance our understanding of the real-world impacts of chemical pollution on wildlife behaviour. This review therefore provides a roadmap of the major outstanding questions in behavioural ecotoxicology and highlights the need for increased cross-talk with other disciplines in order to find the answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael G. Bertram
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSkogsmarksgränd 17UmeåVästerbottenSE‐907 36Sweden
| | - Jake M. Martin
- School of Biological SciencesMonash University25 Rainforest WalkMelbourneVictoria3800Australia
| | - Erin S. McCallum
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSkogsmarksgränd 17UmeåVästerbottenSE‐907 36Sweden
| | - Lesley A. Alton
- School of Biological SciencesMonash University25 Rainforest WalkMelbourneVictoria3800Australia
| | - Jack A. Brand
- School of Biological SciencesMonash University25 Rainforest WalkMelbourneVictoria3800Australia
| | - Bryan W. Brooks
- Department of Environmental ScienceBaylor UniversityOne Bear PlaceWacoTexas76798‐7266U.S.A.
| | - Daniel Cerveny
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSkogsmarksgränd 17UmeåVästerbottenSE‐907 36Sweden
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of HydrocenosesUniversity of South Bohemia in Ceske BudejoviceZátiší 728/IIVodnany389 25Czech Republic
| | - Jerker Fick
- Department of ChemistryUmeå UniversityLinnaeus väg 10UmeåVästerbottenSE‐907 36Sweden
| | - Alex T. Ford
- Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthWinston Churchill Avenue, PortsmouthHampshirePO1 2UPU.K.
| | - Gustav Hellström
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSkogsmarksgränd 17UmeåVästerbottenSE‐907 36Sweden
| | - Marcus Michelangeli
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSkogsmarksgränd 17UmeåVästerbottenSE‐907 36Sweden
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of California350 E Quad, DavisCaliforniaCA95616U.S.A.
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales, Biological Sciences West (D26)SydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Giovanni Polverino
- School of Biological SciencesMonash University25 Rainforest WalkMelbourneVictoria3800Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayPerthWA6009Australia
- Department of Ecological and Biological SciencesTuscia UniversityVia S.M. in Gradi n.4ViterboLazio01100Italy
| | - Minna Saaristo
- Environment Protection Authority VictoriaEPA Science2 Terrace WayMacleodVictoria3085Australia
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniversity of California350 E Quad, DavisCaliforniaCA95616U.S.A.
| | - Hung Tan
- School of Biological SciencesMonash University25 Rainforest WalkMelbourneVictoria3800Australia
| | - Charles R. Tyler
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of ExeterStocker RoadExeterDevonEX4 4QDU.K.
| | - Bob B.M. Wong
- School of Biological SciencesMonash University25 Rainforest WalkMelbourneVictoria3800Australia
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental StudiesSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSkogsmarksgränd 17UmeåVästerbottenSE‐907 36Sweden
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8
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Kafula YA, Philippe C, Pinceel T, Munishi LK, Moyo F, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L, Thoré ESJ. Pesticide sensitivity of Nothobranchius neumanni, a temporary pond predator with a non-generic life-history. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 291:132823. [PMID: 34767842 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides are crucial to improve agricultural productivity, but often adversely affect surrounding aquatic systems and their fauna. To determine the environmental risk of pesticides, routine ecotoxicological tests are performed on several organisms, including standard fish models. However, these typically do not include fish species from variable habitats and with non-generic life-histories. In particular, inhabitants from temporary ponds such as annual killifish are conventionally understood to be resilient to natural stressors which could translate to higher pesticide resistance or, alternatively, trade-off with their resistance to pesticides and render them more sensitive than classic fish models. Using standard exposure tests, we assessed short-term toxicity effects of two commonly used pesticides, Roundup and cypermethrin, on the annual killifish Nothobranchius neumanni, and compared its sensitivity with that of classic fish models. For Roundup, we found a 72 h-LC50 of 1.79 ± 0.11 mg/L, which is lower than the values reported for zebrafish, medaka, fathead minnow and rainbow trout, suggesting that N. neumanni is more sensitive to the compound. The opposite was true for cypermethrin, with a 72 h-LC50 of 0.27 ± 0.03 mg/L. However, these LC50-values do not deviate strongly from those reported for other fish species, supporting earlier findings in the congeneric N. furzeri that the sensitivity of annual killifish to pollutants is similar to that of classic fish models despite their assumed robustness to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuph A Kafula
- Department of Aquatic Sciences, College of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology, P. O Box 976, Musoma, Tanzania; Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania; Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charlotte Philippe
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Linus K Munishi
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Francis Moyo
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences and Bio-Engineering, Nelson Mandela - African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Bram Vanschoenwinkel
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium; Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P. O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences, And Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - Eli S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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