Can a low concentration of an organophosphate insecticide cause negative effects on an aquatic macrophyte? Exposure of Potamogeton pusillus at environmentally relevant chlorpyrifos concentrations

BERTRAND, LIDWINA; MARINO, DAMIÁN JOSÉ; MONFERRÁN, MAGDALENA VICTORIA; AMÉ, MARÍA VALERIA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2017 vol. 138 p. 139 - 139

0098-8472

he contamination of the aquatic environments with organophosphorus pesticides may affect non-target organisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) at environmental concentrations on the freshwater macrophyte Potamogeton pusillus belonging to a genus of worldwide distribution. For this purpose, individuals were exposed from 3.5 to 94.5 ng of CPF L−1 for 96 h. A battery of biochemical responses including bioaccumulation, defense and damage biomarkers were measured in leaf, stem and root. Even when CPF was not detected in the macrophyte tissues, our results showed that this insecticide promotes oxidative stress and biomolecule damages in P. pusillus after acute exposure. Significant response of biomarkers was observed from the lowest tested concentration (3.5 ng CPF L−1). Oxidative stress was evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymatic activation, including changes in superoxide dismutase, guaia