Aminomethylphosphonic acid alters amphibian embryonic development at environmental concentrations

Abstract

Despite intense societal and scientific debates regarding glyphosate toxicity, it remains the most widely used herbicide. The primary metabolite of glyphosate, AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid), is the main contaminant detected in surface waters worldwide, both because of the extensive use of glyphosate and because of other widespread sources of AMPA (i.e., industrial detergents). Studies on potential effects of glyphosate using environmentally relevant concentrations of AMPA on non-target wildlife species are lacking. We experimentally tested the effects of AMPA on embryonic development in a common European toad at concentrations spanning the range found in natural water bodies (from 0.07 to 3.57 μg l−1). Our experimental concentrations of AMPA were 100–6000 times lower than official Predicted-No-Effect-Concentrations. We found that these low-level concentrations of AMPA decreased embryonic survival, increased development duration and influenced hatchling morphology. Response patterns were more complex than classical linear concentration-response relationships, as concentration responses were nonmonotonic, with greater effects at low-concentrations of AMPA than at high levels. Based on our results we recommend that investigators focus not only on effects of “parent compounds,” but also their metabolites at environmentally relevant concentrations in order to comprehensively assess impacts of anthropogenic contaminants on the environment.