Traditional neonicotinoid insecticides are widely used worldwide1. These pesticides may contaminate agricultural soils and put soil organisms at risk2,3,4. The usage of traditional neonicotinoids has been restricted recently in Europe due to insecticide resistance and toxicity to bees. Paichongding (IPP), a novel neonicotinoid, is considered to be a promising substitute and has been used in China with a rapidly increasing consumption. However, the toxicity and biochemical responses of IPP to non-target invertebrates in soil ecosystem have not been reported yet. In this study, the acute toxicity of IPP to earthworm Eisenia fetida was evaluated. IPP exhibited a low acute toxicity to E. fetida with LC50 of 541.071 mg/kg and 238.506 mg/kg at 14d and 28d, respectively, which was extremely higher than other traditional neonicotinoid insecticides. Further studies indicated that a long time exposure of IPP at sublethal doses inhibited the growth of earthworm. The antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in earthworms were both remarkably induced by IPP. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA), a biomarker indicative of the damage to lipid peroxidation, was also increased in earthworms after IPP exposure. The results of the present study indicate that long term exposure of IPP has potentially adverse effects on earthworms, but its toxicity was much milder compared with traditional neonicotinoids. References: 1. Ye J, Wu J, Liu WP, Enantioselective separation and analysis of chiral pesticides by high-performance liquid chromatography. Trends Anal. Chem. 2009, 28(10): 1148-1163. 2. Zhang AP, Liu WP, Yuan HJ, Zhou SS, Su YS, Li YF, Spatial distribution of hexachlorocyclohexanes in soils in Zhejiang Province, China and correlations with elevation and temperature. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45(15):6303-6308. 3. Niu LL, Xu C, Yao YJ, Liu K, Yang FX, Tang ML, Liu WP, Status, influences and risk assessments of hexachlorocyclohexanes in agricultural soils across China. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013, 47(21):12140-12147. 4. Niu LL, Xu C, Xu Y, Zhang CL, Liu WP, Hexachlorocyclohexanes in tree bark across Chinese agricultural regions: spatial distribution and enantiomeric signatures. Environ Sci Technol. 2014, 48(20):12031-8.

Toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticide paichongding to earthworm Eisenia fetida

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.