Chronic environmentally relevant levels of pesticides disrupt energy reserves, feeding rates, and life-cycle responses in the amphipod Hyalella meinerti

When pesticides reach the aquatic environment, they can distribute in water and sediment, increasing the risks to benthic organisms, such as amphipods that play a key role in the aquatic food webs. Thus, the present study assessed the consequences of exposure to the insecticide fipronil and herbicide 2,4-D (alone and in mixture) on biochemical markers, feeding rates and the partial life-cycle of Hyalella meinerti. Three concentrations of fipronil (0.1, 0.3, and 0.7 µg L⁻¹) and 2,4-D (19, 124, and 654 µg L⁻¹), and six mixture combinations were assessed. The first experiment was carried out with males and females separately assessing the feeding rates, total carbohydrate content, and lipid profile. The second (partial life-cycle) lasted 49 days, and the survival, growth, and reproductive endpoints were assessed. Both pesticides and their mixture caused decreases in feeding rates, mainly in females. Females also suffered a change in the total carbohydrate content. In addition, there were changes in the percentage of triacylglycerol and phospholipids in males and females. Furthermore, alterations occurred in the percentual of triacylglycerol and phospholipids to both sexes. In the second experiment, fipronil and the mixtures caused decreases in the survival of H. meinerti over time. Exposure to 2,4-D, fipronil, and their mixture impaired the 28-day growth leading to biomass loss ranging from 17–23%, 54–60%, and 22–49%, respectively. The insecticide and mixture caused increases in time to sexual maturation of up to 10 and 6 days, respectively, and reduced the number of formed couples. Furthermore, fipronil decreased reproduction up to 36 times and no juveniles were produced in some mixture combinations. In addition, the pesticides on isolation decreased the juvenile size. Finally, exposure to both pesticides, alone or in a mixture, decreased the intrinsic rate of population growth. The results were observed in concentrations already quantified in water bodies, with risks for ecosystems functioning due to the importance of amphipods in aquatic ecosystems.