Abstract
The mutagenic potential of selected widely used pesticides: p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); fenitrothion; propoxur; deltamethrin, bifenthrin; imidacloprid and thiametoxam was assessed using the wing spot test. Third-instar larvae of standard Drosophila melanogaster cross (ST), trans-heterozygous for the third chromosome recessive markers, multiple wing hairs (mwh) and flare (flr3) were chronically exposed to test compounds. Feeding ended with pupation of the surviving larvae. Genetic changes induced in somatic cells of the wing’s imaginal discs, mutant spots observed in marker-heterozygous (MH) and balancer-heterozygous (BH) flies were compared using the wing spot test, to estimate the genotoxic effects of these pesticides. In conclusion, exposure to 30 mg/mL deltamethrin, 40 mg/mL imidacloprid, 100 µg/mL DDT showed mutagenic and recombinagenic effects in the Drosophila wing spot test. In addition the results of chronic treatments performed at high doses showed mutagenic and recombinagenic effects in both genotypes
Highlights
The widespread use of pesticides may cause toxic, genotoxic or carcinogenic hazards
Neonicotinoid pesticides have been put on the market to replace the persistent and resistance developing insecticides by causing blockage in a type of neuronal pathway that is more abundant in insects than in warmblooded animals
Previous works on the genotoxicity of pesticides used in this study report quite conflicting results depending on the genetic test system or assay used
Summary
The widespread use of pesticides may cause toxic, genotoxic or carcinogenic hazards. One of the best known was DDT, organochlorine group (OC); it is presently banned based on a cancellation order issued by the U.S EPA for adverse environmental effects to wildlife, as well as human health risks. Powerful for use to control the vectors of “non-persistent” viruses (viruses that can be passed on by the vector within a few minutes of starting to feed on the plant) (Anonymous, 2017d) Bifenthrin is another pyrethroid insecticide and acaricide which affects the nervous system and causes paralysis in insects; highly toxic to fish and aquatic organisms. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been put on the market to replace the persistent and resistance developing insecticides by causing blockage in a type of neuronal pathway (nicotinergic) that is more abundant in insects than in warmblooded animals (making the chemical selectively more toxic to insects than to warm-blooded animals) They are widely used for agricultural and household pest control (Tomizawa & Casida, 2003). The mutational and recombinational potential as well as the total genotoxicity as a function of exposure concentration was determined for these compounds
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