Xueping Zhao

Toxicity assessment of 45 pesticides to the epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida

This study was conducted to investigate comparative toxicity of 45 pesticides, including insecticides, acaricides, fungicides, and herbicides, toward the epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida. Results from a 48-h filter paper contact test indicated that clothianidin, fenpyroximate, and pyridaben were supertoxic to E. fetida with LC(50) values ranging from 0.28 (0.24-0.35) to 0.72 (0.60-0.94) μg cm(-2), followed by carbaryl, pyridaphenthion, azoxystrobin, cyproconazole, and picoxystrobin with LC(50) values ranging from 2.72 (2.22-0.3.19) to 8.48 (7.38-10.21) μg cm(-2), while the other pesticides ranged from being relatively nontoxic to very toxic to the worms. When tested in artificial soil for 14 d, clothianidin and picoxystrobin showed the highest intrinsic toxicity against E. fetida, and their LC(50) values were 6.06 (5.60-6.77) and 7.22 (5.29-8.68) mg kg(-1), respectively, followed by fenpyroximate with an LC(50) of 75.52 (68.21-86.57) mgkg(-1). However, the herbicides fluoroglycofen, paraquat, and pyraflufen-ethyl exhibited the lowest toxicities with LC(50) values>1000 mg kg(-1). In contrast, the other pesticides exhibited relatively low toxicities with LC(50) values ranging from 133.5 (124.5-150.5) to 895.2 (754.2-1198.0) mg kg(-1). The data presented in this paper provided useful information for evaluating the potential risk of these chemicals to soil invertebrates.

The synergistic toxicity of the multiple chemical mixtures: implications for risk assessment in the terrestrial environment.

The combined toxicity of five insecticides (chlorpyrifos, avermectin, imidacloprid, λ-cyhalothrin, and phoxim), two herbicides (atrazine and butachlor) and a heavy metal (cadmium) has been examined with the earthworm acute toxicity test. Toxicological interactions of these chemicals in four, five, six, seven, and eight-component mixtures were studied using the combination-index (CI) equation method. In four-component and five-component mixtures, the synergistic effects predominated at lower effect levels, while the patterns of interactions found in six, seven, and eight-component mixtures displayed synergism. The λ-CY+IMI+BUT+ATR+CPF+PHO combination displayed the most strongly synergistic interaction, with CI values ranging from 0.09 to 0.15. The nature of the interaction changes with the effect level and the relevance of synergistic effects increase with the complexity of the mixture. The CI method was compared with the classical models of concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) and we found that the CI method could accurately predict the combined toxicity. The predicted synergism resulted from co-existence of the pesticides and the heavy metal especially at low effect levels may have important implications in risk assessment for the real terrestrial environment.

Assessment of Toxicity Risk of Insecticides Used in Rice Ecosystem on Trichogramma japonicum, an Egg Parasitoid of Rice Lepidopterans

ABSTRACT Both chemical and biological methods are essential for control of insects, for example, lepidopterans, on rice. Thus, it is important to know the effect of chemicals on the biological control agents. In this study, we assessed the toxicity of commonly used insecticides on a biological control agent, Trichogramma japonicum Ahmead (an egg parasitoid of rice lepidopterans) by using a dry film residue method. Results showed that thirty insecticides from seven chemical classes exhibited various degree of toxicity to this parasitoid. Among the seven classes of chemicals tested, organophosphates (chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion, phoxim, profenofos, and triazophos) and carbamates (carbaryl, carbsulfan, isoprocarb, metolcarb, and promecarb) exhibited the highest intrinsic toxicity to T. japponicum, with an LC50 of 0.035 (0.029–0.044) to 0.49 (0.34–0.87) mg active ingredient (a.i.) L-1, followed by antibiotics (abamectin, emamectin benzoate, and ivermectin), phenylpyrazoles (butane-fipronil, ethiprole, and fipronil), pyrethroids (cyhalthrin, Cypermethrin, fenpropathrin, and lambda-cyhaothrin), and neonicotinoids (acetamiprid, imidacloprid, imidaclothiz, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam). Moreover, the insect growth regulator insecticides (chlorfluazuron, fufenozide, hexaflumuron and tebufenozide) exhibited the lowest toxicity to the wasps with an LC50 of 3,383 (2406–5499) to 30206 (23107–41008) mg a.i. L-1. Risk quotient analysis showed that phenylpyrazoles, pyrethroids, insect growth regulators, neonicotinoids (with the exception of thiamethoxam), and antibiotics (with the exception of abamectin) are classified as safe agents to the parasitoid, while organophosphates and carbamates are classified as slightly, moderately, or highly toxic agents to the parasitoid. The data presented in this paper provided useful information on the selection of compatible insecticides with T. japonicum.

Combined toxicity of butachlor, atrazine and λ-cyhalothrin on the earthworm Eisenia fetida by combination index (CI)-isobologram method

Pesticides in the environment do not appear singly and usually occur as complex mixtures and their combined effect may exhibit toxicity to organisms. The individual and combined toxicities of two herbicides, atrazine and butachlor and an insecticide λ-cyhalothrin have been examined to the earthworm Eisenia fetida, as a non-target terrestrial organism, in artificial soil and filter paper tests. The order of toxicity for the individual pesticides was ranked as atrazine>λ-cyhalothrin>butachlor in both tests. We applied the combination index (CI)-isobologram method which is widely used to study chemical interactions to determine the nature of toxicological interactions of the pesticides and it allows computerized quantitation of synergism, additive effect and antagonism. For most cases in artificial soil test, synergism was observed in majority of the mixtures except for the combination of butachlor plus λ-cyhalothrin. This particular combination displayed opposite interaction in filter paper test. The CI method was compared with the classical models of Concentration Addition (CA) and Independent Action (IA) and we found that CI method could accurately predict the combined toxicity and can serve as a useful tool in ecotoxicological risk assessment.

Ternary toxicological interactions of insecticides, herbicides, and a heavy metal on the earthworm Eisenia fetida.

The combined toxicities of five insecticides (chlorpyrifos, avermectin, imidacloprid, λ-cyhalothrin, and phoxim), two herbicides (atrazine and butachlor), and a heavy metal (cadmium) have been examined using the acute toxicity test on the earthworm. With a concentration of 2.75 mg/kg being lethal for 50% of the organisms, imidacloprid exhibited the highest acute toxicity toward the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Toxicological interactions of these chemicals in ternary mixtures were studied using the combination-index (CI) equation method. Twenty-one ternary mixtures exhibited various interactive effects, in which 11 combinations showed synergistic effects, four led to dual synergistic/additive behaviors, one exhibited an additive effect, and five showed increasing antagonism within the entire range of effects. The CI method was compared with the classical models of concentration addition and independent action, and it was found that the CI method could accurately predict combined toxicity of the chemicals studied. The predicted synergism in the majority of the mixtures, especially at low-effect levels, might have implications in the real terrestrial environment.

Embryonic exposure to carbendazim induces the transcription of genes related to apoptosis, immunotoxicity and endocrine disruption in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Carbendazim is one of the most widespread environmental contaminant that can cause major concern to human and animal reproductive system. To date, very few studies have been conducted on the toxic effect of carbendazim in the non-target organism zebrafish (Danio rerio). The study presented here aimed to assess how carbendazim triggers apoptosis, immunotoxicity and endocrine disruption pathways in zebrafish during its embryo development. Our results demonstrated that the expression patterns of many key genes involved in cell apoptosis pathway (e.g. P53, Mdm2, Bbc3 and Cas8) were significantly up-regulated upon the exposure to carbendazim at the concentration of 500 μg/L, while the Bcl2 and Cas3 were down-regulated at the same concentration, interestingly, the expression level of Ogg1 decreased at all the exposure concentrations. It was also observed that the mRNA levels of CXCL-C1C, CCL1, IL-1b and TNFα which were closely related to the innate immune system, were affected in newly hatched zebrafish after exposed to different concentrations of carbendazim. Moreover, the expression of genes that are involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal/thyroid (HPG/HPT) axis including VTG, ERα, ERβ2, Dio1, Dio2, Thraa and Thrb were all down-regulated significantly after the exposure to carbendazim. The expression levels of two cytochrome P450 aromatases CYP19a and CYP19b were increased significantly after 20 and 100 μg/L carbendazim exposure, respectively. Taken together, our results indicated that carbendazim had the potential to induce cell apoptosis and cause immune toxicity as well as endocrine disruption in zebrafish during the embryo developmental stage. The information presented here also help to elucidate the environmental risks caused by the carbendazim-induced toxicity in aquatic organisms.

Effect of acetochlor on transcription of genes associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis, immunotoxicity and endocrine disruption in the early life stage of zebrafish

The study presented here aimed to characterize the effects of acetochlor on expression of genes related to endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, apoptosis and immune system in zebrafish during its embryo development. Different trends in gene expression were observed after exposure to 50, 100, 200μg/L acetochlor for 96h. Results demonstrated that the transcription patterns of many key genes involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal/thyroid (HPG/HPT) axis (e.g., VTG1, ERβ1, CYP19a and TRα), cell apoptosis pathway (e.g., Bcl2, Bax, P53 and Cas8), as well as innate immunity (e.g., CXCL-C1C, IL-1β and TNFα) were affected in newly hatched zebrafish after exposure to acetochlor. In addition, the up-regulation of CAT, GPX, GPX1a, Cu/Zn-SOD and Ogg1 suggested acetochlor might trigger oxidative stress in zebrafish. These finding indicated that acetochlor could simultaneously induce multiple responses during zebrafish embryonic development, and bidirectional interactions among oxidative stress, apoptosis pathway, immune and endocrine systems might be present.

Comparative and combined acute toxicity of butachlor, imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos on earthworm, Eisenia fetida.

Various pesticides have become widespread contaminants of soils due to their large applications in agriculture and homes. An earthworm assay was used to assess the acute toxicity of butachlor, imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos with different modes of action. Ecotoxicities of these pesticides were compared for earthworm Eisenia fetida separately and in combination in artificial soil and contact filter paper tests. Imidacloprid was the most toxic for E. fetida with LC₅₀ (lethal concentration 50) values three orders magnitude lower than that of butachlor and chlorpyrifos in both tests. The toxicity of the mixtures was compared to that predicted by the concentration addition (CA) model. According to the CA model, the observed toxicities of all binary mixtures were less than additive. However, for all the mixtures in 14 d artificial soil test, and mixtures of butachlor plus chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid plus chlorpyrifos in 48 h contact filter paper test, the difference in toxicity was less than 30%, hence it was concluded that the mixtures conformed to CA. The combined effects of the pesticides in contact filter paper tests were not consistent with the results in artificial soil toxicity tests, which may be associated with the interaction of soil salts with the pesticides. The CA model provides estimates of mixture toxicity that did not markedly underestimate the measured toxicity, and therefore the CA model is the most suitable to use in ecological risk assessments of the pesticides.

Susceptibility to selected insecticides and risk assessment in the insect egg parasitoid Trichogramma confusum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae).

ABSTRACT The parasitoid Trichogramma confusum Viggiani (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) is an important natural enemy of many lepidopterans throughout the world. Extensive toxicological tests have clarified the toxic effects of insecticides on trichogrammatids, but only few studies have examined these effects on T. confusum. Among the seven classes of tested chemicals, organophosphates and carbamates exhibited the highest intrinsic toxicity to the parasitoid with LC50 values ranging from 0.037 (0.030–0.046) to 0.29 (0.23–0.38) and from 0.17 (0.15–0.19) to 1.61 (1.45–1.79) mg AI L-1, respectively. They were followed by phenylpyrazoles, avermectins, pyrethroids, and neonicotinoids, which induced variable toxicity responses with LC50 values ranging from 0.63 to 45.26, 1.06–21.73, 3.89–19.36, and 0.24–754.2 mg AI L-1, respectively. In contrast, insect growth regulators (IGRs) showed the least toxicity to the parasitoid with LC50 values ranging from 3,907 (3,432–4,531 ) to 10,154 (8,857–12,143) mg AI L-1. A risk quotient analysis indicated that neonicotinoids (except thiamethoxam), avermectins, pyrethroids, IGRs, and phenylpyrazoles are safe, but organophosphates and carbamates are slightly to moderately or dangerously toxic to T. confusum. This study provides informative data for implementing both biological and chemical control strategies in integrated pest management of lepidopterans.

Toxicity of mixtures of λ-cyhalothrin, imidacloprid and cadmium on the earthworm Eisenia fetida by combination index (CI)-isobologram method

Contaminants in the environment do not appear singly and usually occur as mixtures. We applied the combination index (CI)-isobologram method which allows computerized quantitation of synergism, additive effect and antagonism to determine the nature of toxicological interactions of two pesticides λ-cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, and heavy metal cadmium towards earthworm Eisenia fetida. In an artificial soil test, λ-cyhalothrin and Cd combination was slightly synergistic at low effect levels which turned into a slight antagonism above f(a) values of 0.6, while the binary mixtures containing imidacloprid exhibited antagonism. The presence of imidacloprid in the ternary mixture also resulted in an antagonistic effect to the earthworms. This behavior became more antagonistic in the ternary mixture in filter paper tests.