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Biological effects of a copper-based fungicide on the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster .

G S RiederD C ZamberlanM AschnerL F O SilvaJ B T da Rocha
Published in: Journal of environmental science and health. Part. B, Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes (2024)
The increased consumption of pesticides can have a negative environmental impact by increasing the essential metals to toxic levels. Bordasul® is a commonly used fungicide in Brazil and it is composed of 20% Cu, 10% sulfur, and 3.0% calcium. The study of fungicides in vivo in non-target model organisms can predict their environmental impact more broadly. The Drosophila melanogaster is a unique model due to its ease of handling and maintenance. Here, the potential toxicity of Bordasul® was investigated by assessing the development, survival, and behavior of exposed flies. Exposure to Bordasul® impaired the development ( p  < 0.01) and caused a significant reduction in memory retention ( p  < 0.05) and locomotor ability ( p  < 0.001). Fungicides are needed to assure the world's food demand; however, Bordasul® was highly toxic to D. melanogaster . Therefore, Bordasul® may be potentially toxic to non-target invertebrates and new environmentally-safe biofertilizers have to be developed to preserve the biota.
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