After the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of quaternary ammonium compounds increased exponentially due to their efficacy as antimicrobials, stabilizers and disinfectants. Among these, Quaternium-15 is a preservative used in the formulation of a variety of personal care products. The increased use of this substance and the resulting persistence in wastewater treatment systems, which are unable to completely remove the Quaternium-15 from the water, is of increasing environmental concern. Using embryotoxicity analyses, this study aimed to investigate the effects of exposure to Quaternium-15 on non-target species and the resulting risks to the environment. Embryotoxicity endpoints such as mortality, hatching, presence of malformations, altered heartbeat and animal length were used to assess the effects on three model organisms (Cyprinus carpio, Danio rerio, Xenopus laevis) were evaluated during a 96-hour exposure to six different concentrations of Quaternium-15 (1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg/L). The results obtained from the analyses highlighted: significant mortality for all three model organisms in the highest concentrations tested in which all the embryos died after 96 hpf, a delay in hatching of C. carpio and D. rerio compared to the control group, the insurgence of malformations in all the model organisms chosen and a significant decrease in heartbeat rate for the fish models. Each of these observations underlies the negative interaction between the Quaternium-15 and aquatic organisms making necessary further investigation to prevent damage to ecosystems and non-target species.

Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Palackeho tr 1946 1 612 42 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences University of Messina Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres 31 98166 Messina Italy

Department of Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences University of Messina Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres 31 98166 Messina Italy; Department of Eco sustainable Marine Biotechnology Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Naples Italy

Department of Veterinary Sciences University of Messina Viale Giovanni Palatucci snc 98168 Messina Italy

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