Evaluation of the effects of nanoatrazine bioconcentration on the aquatic trophic chain in phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish

• Grant number: 23/05104-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biology
• Principal Investigator: Vera Lucia Scherholz Salgado de Castro
• Grantee: Ana Paula Andrade Braga
• Host Institution: Embrapa Meio-Ambiente. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Jaguariúna , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Atrazine is an herbicide still widely used in Brazil and that can remain in aquatic collections. The development of nanopesticides can help the mitigation of the disadvantageous of the conventional pesticide formulation technologies. In this sense, the nanoencapsulation of the herbicide atrazine can be a suitable strategy to combat the adverse effects in agriculture compared to its commercial formulation. However, its rapid development raises concerns about possible health risks and environmental impacts such as its potential for transfer into food chains. To better understand this issue, a freshwater food chain comprising three trophic levels will be studied. Representative organisms of each of them (algae, microcrustaceans and fish) will be evaluated for the effects of bioconcentration and biomagnification of nanoatrazine encapsulated with polycaprolactone polymer (nATZ-PCL). Therefore, algae of the species Raphidocelis subcapitata will be exposed to different concentrations of nATZ-PCL and used as primary production. Neonates of Daphnia magna (primary consumer) will be fed with the pre-exposed algae and will later serve as food for fish of the Danio rerio species (secondary consumer). It is expected that with the aid of this research results, the understanding of the ecotoxic effects of nATZ-PCL along the aquatic food chain can be expanded and a protocol can be developed for this type of evaluation. With this, it is intended to contribute to the development of safer nanopesticides, which reduce negative impacts on the environment and public health.