Effect of the mixed fungicide Pictor and its components on the biological characteristics of cladocerans

Abstract

The effect of the mixed fungicide Pictor, SC (Dimoxystrobin, 200 g/L + Boscalid, 200 g/L) an its active ingredients on cladocerans, specifically Daphnia magna Straus, has been investigated. The impact of this fungicide on the biological characteristics of the zooplanktonic organisms has been examined both for isolated (active ingredients) and combined (preparative forms) exposure. It has been found out that the increase of the fungicide concentration in solutions resulted in the decrease in the reproductive rate, abundance, and biomass of the Daphnia population. Based on the experimental data, no observed effect and the lowest observed effect concentrations have been identified for the active ingredients of the fungicide and for its preparative form. It has been established that the preparative form has no additive effect on the survival rate and biological processes of the development, growth, and reproduction of the zooplankton organisms. The active ingredients, present in the fungicide in its preparative form and most toxic for the susceptible links of a trophic chain in a water body, could be recommended as indicators during the examination of the water bodies of fisheries importance for the content of mixed fungicides of new chemical classes. Determination of the content of such active ingredients can be used for unbiased assessment of the environmental threat posed by the mixed pesticides to aquatic ecosystems.