Determination of the insecticide fipronil and its toxic effects in sublethal doses in the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris

• Grant number: 18/24589-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: February 29, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Eny Maria Vieira
• Grantee: Matías Nahuel Ellena
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The intensified use of agrochemicals such as the insecticide fipronil, applied in a variety of crops, poses as a constant risk to non-target organisms living in and around the cultivation areas. In this sense, the present proposal aims the determination of fipronil in tissues of the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris, commonly known as uruçu, an important pollinating species native from some Brazilian regions. This determination will be carried using QuEChERS extraction method followed by LC-MS analysis. In addition, toxicity studies will also be performed, based on the analysis of enzymatic biomarkers that can provide information about the metabolism of this pesticide for selected species, as well as the risk associated with this exposure, contributing significantly to the achievement of control patterns of this pesticide applications in diverse cultures as well as the preservation of this native bee species.