Analysis of endocrine disruption to chronic exposure to mixtures of the compounds Diflubenzuron and Pyriproxifen in the experimental model Danio rerio

• Grant number: 25/05728-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Fiorelini Pereira
• Grantee: Aline Isabella de Souza Goncalves
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03094-5 - Project Zebratox: toxicological screening of larvicides of public and veterinary health importance, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

Human impacts on aquatic environments result in the exposure of fauna and flora to numerous substances, the real effects of which are often unknown, individually or in combination. Among the agents that are constantly released, pesticides are relevant, not only due to the quantities used, but also due to 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 active ingredients of pesticides in Brazilian aquatic environments are still scarce. Among ecotoxicological tests with fish, the model based on zebrafish has become popular for assessing toxicity, mainly because it is an organism with anatomy, physiology and development similar 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 in mixtures. To this end, this project will perform analyses aimed at identifying the possible action of these agents as endocrine disruptors in the species Danio rerio (Zebrafish).