The Toxicity of The Antiparasitic Amitraz in Tropical Soils on The Reproduction of Edaphic Organisms

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the effect of environmental toxicity in soils (tropical) with increasing doses of the antiparasitic amitraz on the survival and reproduction of two edaphic organisms, Folsomia candida and Enchytraeus crypticus. Soils contaminated with increasing doses of amitraz caused a significant reduction in the survival and reproduction of the population of adults and juveniles of F. candida, in the natural soil tested, although, for TAS, the reduction was significant only for juvenile individuals. However, the species E. crypticus did not show any sensitivity to exposure to amitraz in all tested soils. We concluded that the addition of increasing doses of this antiparasitic substance can cause imbalance on the terrestrial ecosystem, since it is harmful to at least one member (and perhaps more) of the springtail family, an important edaphic species, whose members play many relevant functions for the maintenance of soil fertility and quality.