IIMYC   23581
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES MARINAS Y COSTERAS
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Sublethal effects of current-use pesticides in aquatic macrophytes.
Autor/es:
MENONE M.; PEREZ D.; LUKASZEWICZ, G.; GARANZINI D.; AMÉ M.
Lugar:
Buenos Aires
Reunión:
Congreso; SETAC Latin America 11ª Biennal Meeting; 2015
Institución organizadora:
SETAC LA
Resumen:
Despite the importance of algae and aquatic macrophytes at the base of theaquatic food webs, they are not commonly included in ecotoxicology research.Aquatic macrophytes convert solar energy and carbon dioxide into organicmatter, produce oxygen, and provide habitat, food and oviposition sites for otherorganisms among other ecosystem services. Because of that, they must beprotected from adverse agrochemical effects in order to maintain ecosystemfunctions and structure. Traditionally, persistent organic pesticides have beenmonitored, but current-use hydrophilic compounds have gained popularity andshould be taken into account because they can induce acute and chronic effectsin non- target organisms. The main objective of our work is to detect early stagesof pollution by current- use pesticides in freshwater ecosystems using biomarkersin native aquatic species. We emphasize on fungicides and biochemical andgenetic biomarkers in the aquatic macrophytes Bidens laevis and Myriophyllumquitense. Some fungicides have been detected in surface waters at concentrationshigher than regulatory limit and it can be assumed that their massive use poses arisk for the environment. However, data of its effects are still scarce in theliterature. Azoxystrobin (AZX) belongs to a new class of widely-sold systemicfungicides. It has a low water-octanol partition coefficient (log Kow= 2.5), andits mode of action is the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration in fungi. In plantsAZX is genotoxic, showing aneunogenic and clastogenic effects in B. laevis andM. quitense, respectively. Recent results show that it also causes oxidative stress,changes in certain enzymes associated with the carbon fixation as well as inphotosynthetic pigments. Therefore, native species can suffer adverse effects thatcan contribute to decrease of genetic diversity of the populations which canultimately reduce the fitness or drive to adaptation to contaminated environments.