1. Lethal effects of Cr(III) alone and in combination with propiconazole and clothianidin in honey bees
- Author
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Claudio Porrini, Fabio Sgolastra, Roberto Molowny-Horas, Teresa Renzi, Simone Tosi, Ilaria Braschi, Piotr Medrzycki, Sonia Blasioli, Fabio, Sgolastra, Sonia, Blasioli, Teresa, Renzi, Simone, Tosi, Piotr, Medrzycki, Roberto, Molowny-Hora, Claudio, Porrini, and Ilaria, Braschi
- Subjects
Chromium ,0106 biological sciences ,Insecticides ,Environmental Engineering ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,010501 environmental sciences ,Guanidines ,01 natural sciences ,Median lethal dose ,complex mixtures ,Toxicology ,Neonicotinoids ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Animals ,Environmental Chemistry ,Ecotoxicology ,Drug Interactions ,Pesticides ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,fungi ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Clothianidin ,General Medicine ,General Chemistry ,Honey bee ,Bees ,Triazoles ,Pesticide ,Pollution ,Propiconazole ,Fungicide ,Thiazoles ,010602 entomology ,chemistry ,Toxicity ,behavior and behavior mechanisms ,Heavy metals Pesticides Apis mellifera Ecotoxicology Pollution Synergism/antagonism - Abstract
Several anthropogenic contaminants, including pesticides and heavy metals, can affect honey bee health. The effects of mixtures of heavy metals and pesticides are rarely studied in bees, even though bees are likely to be exposed to these contaminants in both agricultural and urban environments. In this study, the lethal toxicity of Cr alone and in combination with the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin and the ergosterol-biosynthesis-inhibiting fungicide propiconazole was assessed in Apis mellifera adults. The LD 50 and lowest benchmark dose of Cr as Cr(NO 3 ) 3 , revealed a low acute oral toxicity on honey bee foragers (2049 and 379 mg L −1 , respectively) and the Cr retention ( i.e. bee ability to retain the heavy metal in the body) was generally low compared to other metals. A modified method based on the binomial proportion test was developed to analyse synergistic and antagonistic interactions between the three tested contaminants. The combination of an ecologically-relevant field concentration of chromium with clothianidin and propiconazole did not increase bee mortality. On the contrary, the presence of Cr in mixture with propiconazole elicited a slight antagonistic effect.
- Published
- 2018