INDUCCIÓN DE DAÑO AL ADN Y NEUROTOXICIDAD EN LARVAS DE UN ANFIBIO AUTÓCTONO POR EXPOSICIÓN AL IMIDACLOPRID

YAMILA ASPARCH; GABRIELA SVARTZ; CRISTINA, PÉREZ COLL

Virtual

Congreso; XXXVII Congreso Interamericano virtual de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ambiental de AIDIS; 2021

Asociación Interamericana de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ambiental

Amphibian?s populations are declining due to anthropic activities and the introduction of pesticides into natural habitats. Once pesticides reach water bodies, they can cause detrimental effects also on biota. Imidacloprid (IMI) is an insecticide worldwide used due to its selectivity for the nervous system of insects, which makes it ?safe for vertebrates?. However, recent studies indicate that this insecticide is able to cause several toxic effects in amphibians. Thus, the objective of present work was to evaluate the response of two frequently used biomarkers of genotoxicity and neurotoxicity as early indicators of exposure in larvae of the native amphibian species Rhinella arenarum. The results indicate that IMI causes an alteration in the function of the neuroprotective enzyme butyrylcholinestarase compared to the negative control in a concentration range of 30-100 mg/L. These concentrations also cause an increase in the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes. These results show that this insecticide is not safe for vertebrates and warns about the consequences of the increasing use of this substance on the health of this native amphibian.