Project Zebratox: toxicological screening of larvicides of public and veterinary health importance

Abstract

Anthropogenic impacts in aquatic environments cause the exposure of fauna and flora to numerous substances, of which, many times, we are unaware of their real individual effects and in mixtures. Among the agents that are constantly released, pesticides are relevant, not only for the quantities used, but also for the diversity of compounds produced and registered in Brazil. Although some experts argue that there is no risk if the amount of active ingredients is within the regulated limit, data on the occurrence of pesticide active ingredients in Brazilian aquatic environments are still scarce. Among the ecotoxicological tests with fish, the zebrafish-based model has become popular for the evaluation of toxicity, mainly because it is an organism with similar anatomy, physiology and development to higher vertebrates and because it is representative and recognized as a model in aquatic environments. Therefore, this project aims to use several biomarkers to evaluate the effects of the active ingredients of the compounds Diclubenzuron (DBZ) and Pyriproxifen (PPF), two widely used pesticides that can pose risks to aquatic life and human health, focusing on their individual action and on mixtures. For this, this project will carry out analyzes aimed at identifying histopathological changes in the liver, gills and gonads, in addition to the possible action of these agents as endocrine disruptors, their impact on the behavior and embryonic development of the Danio rerio (Zebrafish) species. These analyzes bring a multidisciplinary character to the project and will allow the production of relevant data for the growth of knowledge of environmental toxicology and the identification of how such substances in mixture can interact with the biota, aiming at the conservation of species and the generation of data that help the reformulation and updating of Brazilian legislation. (AU)