TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term effects of the fungicide pyrimethanil on aquatic primary producers in macrophyte-dominated outdoor mesocosms in two European ecoregions
AU - Müller, Ruth
AU - Shinn, Cândida
AU - Waldvogel, Ann-Marie
AU - Oehlmann, Jӧrg
AU - Ribeiro, Rui
AU - Moreira-Santos, Matilde
N1 - NPP; CPD; Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Even though empirical data supporting sound ecoregion-specific ecotoxicological evaluations are still scarce, the differences of environmental (including climatic) conditions in specific ecoregions are already currently being regulated for environmental risk assessment of pesticides in Europe. To shed new light on the ecotoxicological effects of pesticides on aquatic communities across ecoregions, the model pollutant pyrimethanil (fungicide) was tested in an outdoor mesocosm study with macrophyte-dominated communities in the European "South" (Portugal) and "Centre" (Germany) regulatory zones. Phytoplankton indicators monitored over 12 months indicated a low risk of the fungicide (0.73 or 0.77 mg pyrimethanil L-1, single application) to phytoplankton functioning; as expected since exposure simulated worst-case scenarios. However, the growth of key structural macroalgae and macrophytes was affected by the fungicide and negative effects occurred, especially in the Central zone experiment. Such effects were not detected earlier than approximately nine months post single pyrimethanil application. The presence or absence of such extremely long-lasting/delayed pyrimethanil effects depended on species, competitive situation, and ecoregion-specific physico-chemical environment. The present findings suggest that a better understanding of both direct and indirect effects of fungicide pollution on aquatic flora in two European ecoregions helps to consolidate the environmental risk assessment of pesticides in specific regulatory zones.
AB - Even though empirical data supporting sound ecoregion-specific ecotoxicological evaluations are still scarce, the differences of environmental (including climatic) conditions in specific ecoregions are already currently being regulated for environmental risk assessment of pesticides in Europe. To shed new light on the ecotoxicological effects of pesticides on aquatic communities across ecoregions, the model pollutant pyrimethanil (fungicide) was tested in an outdoor mesocosm study with macrophyte-dominated communities in the European "South" (Portugal) and "Centre" (Germany) regulatory zones. Phytoplankton indicators monitored over 12 months indicated a low risk of the fungicide (0.73 or 0.77 mg pyrimethanil L-1, single application) to phytoplankton functioning; as expected since exposure simulated worst-case scenarios. However, the growth of key structural macroalgae and macrophytes was affected by the fungicide and negative effects occurred, especially in the Central zone experiment. Such effects were not detected earlier than approximately nine months post single pyrimethanil application. The presence or absence of such extremely long-lasting/delayed pyrimethanil effects depended on species, competitive situation, and ecoregion-specific physico-chemical environment. The present findings suggest that a better understanding of both direct and indirect effects of fungicide pollution on aquatic flora in two European ecoregions helps to consolidate the environmental risk assessment of pesticides in specific regulatory zones.
KW - Fungicides, Industrial/toxicity
KW - Germany
KW - Phytoplankton/drug effects
KW - Plants/drug effects
KW - Portugal
KW - Pyrimidines/toxicity
KW - Seaweed/drug effects
KW - Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.050
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.050
M3 - A1: Web of Science-article
C2 - 30790766
VL - 665
SP - 982
EP - 994
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
SN - 0048-9697
ER -