Calibration of the SPEARpesticides bioindicator for cost-effective pesticide monitoring in East African streams

Environmental Sciences Europe

Werner Brack¹  Jeremias M. Becker²  Matthias Liess²  Henner Hollert³  Ulrike Fillinger⁴  Baldwyn Torto⁴  Akbar A. Ganatra⁵  Francis McOdimba⁵  Faith Jebiwot Kandie⁶ 

[1] Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany;Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany;Department of System-Ecotoxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH – UFZ, 04318, Leipzig, Germany;Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany;Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany;International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), Human Health Theme, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya;International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), Human Health Theme, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya;Biological Sciences, Egerton University, 20115, Egerton, Kenya;International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), Human Health Theme, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya;Department Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Faculty Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany;Department of Biological Sciences, Moi University, P.O. Box 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya;Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany;

关键词: Ecotoxicology;    Bio-indicator;    Pesticide pollution;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12302-021-00497-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPesticides are washed from agricultural fields into adjacent streams, where even short-term exposure causes long-term ecological damage. Detecting pesticide pollution in streams thus requires the expensive monitoring of peak concentrations during run-off events. Alternatively, exposure and ecological effects can be assessed using the SPEARpesticides bioindicator that quantifies pesticide-related changes in the macroinvertebrate community composition. SPEARpesticides has been developed in Central Europe and validated in other parts of Europe, Australia and South America; here we investigated its performance in East African streams.ResultsWith minimal adaptations of the SPEARpesticdes index, we successfully characterized pesticide pollution in 13 streams located in Western Kenya. The East African SPEARpesticides index correlated well with the overall toxicity of 30 pesticides (maximum toxic unit = maximum environmental vs. median lethal concentration) measured in stream water (R2 = 0.53). Similarly, the SPEARpesticides index correlated with the risk of surface run-off from agricultural fields (as identified based on ground slope in the catchment area and the width of protective riparian strips, R2 = 0.45). Unlike other bioindicators designed to indicate general water pollution, SPEARpesticides was independent of organic pollution and highly specific to pesticides. In 23% of the streams, pesticides exceeded concentrations considered environmentally safe based on European first tiered risk assessment.ConclusionsIncreasing contamination was associated with considerable changes in the macroinvertebrate community composition. We conclude that pesticides need to be better regulated also in developing countries. SPEARpesticides provides a straightforward and cost-efficient tool for the required monitoring of pesticide exposure in small to medium streams.

【 授权许可】

CC BY