Use of native oligochaetes in ecotoxicological studies: applications for environmental impact assessment in aquatic ecosystems

• Grant number: 25/02272-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Evaldo Luiz Gaeta Espindola
• Grantee: Victória Cristiane Lima Oliveira
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/12104-4 - Fate and impacts of microplastics and pesticides in aquatic and terrestrial matrices in agricultural contexts, AP.TEM

Abstract

Pesticides, widely used in agriculture, have the potential to contaminate aquatic ecosystems and cause adverse impacts on non-target organisms. In this context, oligochaetes emerge as appropriate models for bioassays, due to their wide distribution, ecological role and ease of cultivation in the laboratory. Thus, the project proposes to study the reproduction rates, acute toxicity and chronic sublethal effects of imidacloprid and tebuconazole, alone and in mixture, with two native species of oligochaetes: Dero nivea and Allonais chelata. The tests will follow established methodologies, adapting parameters to the test organisms. The aim is to contribute with unprecedented data in the ecotoxicological evaluation of pesticides, deepening the understanding of the effects of these substances on different aquatic organisms, contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and subsidizing information to establish reference values ¿¿for environmental monitoring in tropical aquatic ecosystems.