Neonicotinoids are increasingly and widely used systemic insecticides in agriculture, residential applications, and elsewhere. These pesticides can sometimes occur in small water bodies in exceptionally high concentrations, leading to downstream non-target aquatic toxicity. Although insects appear to be the most sensitive group to neonicotinoids, other aquatic invertebrates may also be affected. Most existing studies focus on single-insecticide exposure and very little is known concerning the impact of neonicotinoid mixtures on aquatic invertebrates at the community level. To address this data gap and explore community-level effects, we performed an outdoor mesocosm experiment that tested the effect of a mixture of three common neonicotinoids (formulated imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam) on an aquatic invertebrate community. Exposure to the neonicotinoid mixture induced a top-down cascading effect on insect predators and zooplankton, ultimately increasing phytoplankton. Our results highlight complexities of mixture toxicity occurring in the environment that may be underestimated with traditional mono-specific toxicological approaches.

Center for Urban Waters Tacoma WA 98421 USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 USA

Center for Urban Waters Tacoma WA 98421 USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Washington Seattle WA 98195 USA; Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences University of Washington Tacoma Tacoma WA 98421 USA

Center for Urban Waters Tacoma WA 98421 USA; Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences University of Washington Tacoma Tacoma WA 98421 USA

Institute of Entomology Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská 31 CZ 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic; Department of Ecosystem Biology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branišovská 1760 CZ 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Puyallup Research and Extension Center Washington State University Puyallup WA 98371 USA

Puyallup Research and Extension Center Washington State University Puyallup WA 98371 USA; Institute of Entomology Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Branišovská 31 CZ 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic; Department of Ecosystem Biology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branišovská 1760 CZ 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic

Citace poskytuje Crossref.org