Agricultural insecticide toxicity in bioassay with Artemia salina

Abstract

Insecticides are pesticides used to control insects that are harmful to agricultural crops. However, the excessive use of pesticides may result in toxic effects on human health and numerous socio-environmental impacts. Different toxicity assays can be used to analyze the toxic effect of certain substances. Among them, the Artemia salina bioassay is considered a rapid, reliable, and cost-effective test when compared to tests on other animal models, such as mammals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxic potential of the agricultural insecticide cyromazine using the microcrustacean A. salina. The nauplii remained in contact with the test substance diluted in saline water solution, in decreasing concentrations from the usual dose, and the negative control occurred only in saline solution. The experiment was performed in triplicate, and after 24 and 48 hours of exposure, the surviving larvae were counted, and acute toxicity, the median lethal concentration (CL50), and the dose-response relationship were calculated through statistical analysis. The insecticide was considered toxic, and acute toxicity was higher after 48 hours of exposure. Additionally, a dose-response relationship was observed between the concentrations and the mortality of the exposed organisms. Thus, it is important to emphasize that monitoring the toxic effects of this insecticide is essential, considering that it is a widely used product in the agricultural industry.