Effects of acute and chronic bendiocarb exposure during early life stages of the pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Environmental pollution is a global concern, and anthropogenic activities have contaminated natural water sources. Pesticides are one of the most recognised pollutants worldwide. Carbamates are a widely used pesticide family, and bendiocarb is a broad-spectrum carbamate insecticide detected in surface and groundwater. In the present work, acute lethal and chronic effects of bendiocarb on the early life stages of freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis were investigated. 24-h LC50 of bendiocarb on L. stagnalis embryos and juveniles was estimated at 20.39 (18.30–22.71) mg/L and 38.35 (29.58–52.89) mg/L, respectively. Chronic tests were conducted for 21-d to evaluate the potential effects of the environmentally realistic concentrations of bendiocarb (5 and 100 µg/L) on the embryos. Mortality, development, growth (embryo: egg ratio and shell height), heart rate, and hatching success were investigated. The test results showed that mortality, developmental progression, embryo: egg ratio, shell height measurements and cumulative hatching rate were not significantly impaired by chronic bendiocarb exposure compared to the control. However, bendiocarb induced increased heart rate in the exposed snails.