Pesticides are employed extensively as an essential technological tool all over the world in agriculture and horticulture not only to control pests, but also to increase crop yield and to improve human nutrition and economy. However, a host of unfavorable environmental adverse effects of life forms and human health have been reported (Johnson, 1968; Goodman et al., 1992). Pesticides adverse effects might cause direct or indirect effects on life forms depending on toxicant grade, toxicant concentration, species sensitivity, age, sex, size, duration of exposure, temperature, ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History
Herbicides and insecticides are applied in agriculture sequentially or simultaneously to control broadleaf weeds, corn rootworm larvae, and other soil pests. Pesticide application creates the potential for movement to aquatic habitats via sediment or runoff, hence affects non-target aquatic organisms. Histopathological changes of gill tissues have been suggested as powerful and sensitive measures of stress and well-being offish. Atrazine and terbufos were found to cause tissue damage and mortality in fish. Literature concerning the effects of pesticide mixtures to fish and other animals at the histopathological level are rare. The present study focused on the impacts of atrazine and terbufos mixtures on fish gills.Cyprinella lutrensis were obtained from the Platte River in Nebraska, USA and maintained in the laboratory at 23 °C and 30 °C. They were exposed to 0, 1μg terbufos + 10 μg atrazine L-1, 10 μg terbufos + 100 μg atrazine L-1, and 100 μg terbufos + 1000 μg atrazine L-1.
Atrazine is widely used in agriculture to control weeds. However, little is known about the effects of long-term exposure in fish. Normal fish gill morphology and ultrastructure have been studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pollutants including pesticides can cause lesions in gills, which ultimately affect osmoregulation and oxygen consumption.Specimens of red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) were collected from the Platte River, Nebraska, by seining and treated with sodium chloride and malachite green to reduce infections. Fish were randomly distributed to aerated glass aquaria. Biological sponge filters were used to keep aquaria clean during the 14 day bioassay. Fish were maintained at a 22°C on a 12:12 photoperiod, and fed a commercial fish food once daily. Atrazine concentrations of 0, 10, 100, and 1000 μg L-1 were used. For scanning electron microscopy, fish were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer. Then, gills were removed and post-fixed in 1% OsO4.
Terbufos (O, O-diethyl, S-(((1, 1-dimethylethyl)thio)methyl) phosphorodithioate), purity 98% acts as anticholinestrase. Commercial formulations are applied to soil as an insecticide-nematicide throughout the United States to control com root-worm larvae and other pests, preventing an economical loss to producers Terbufos is highly toxic to fish species (e.g., fathead minnows 96 hr's LC50 is 150 μg L−1) and toxicity increases as temperature increase. There have been no reports on its effects on fish gills.Red shiners (Cyprinella lutrensis) were collected from the Platte River, Nebraska using a seine and maintained in 30-L glass aquaria (10 fish /tank) for a 14-d acclimation period at 22°C on a 12:12 photoperiod and fed a commercial fish food once daily except for 24-h before and at the beginning of bioassays. During the 14-d bioassay, fish were exposed to terbufos concentrations of 0, 1, 10, and 100μg L−1. At the conclusion of the bioassay, fish were fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde with 0.1 M phosphate buffer. Gills were removed, washed in 0.1 M phosphate buffer and post-fixed in 1% OsO4 for 2-h, gills were rinsed in water and dehydrated in a graded ethanol series. After critical point drying using liquid CO2, gill tissues were mounted on stubs, coated with gold-palladium and examined using a Cambridge S-90 stereoscan at 15 kV
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