Responses of Freshwater Planarian Girardia tigrina to Fipronil-Based Insecticide: Survival, Behavioral and Physiological Endpoints

Fipronil is a pyrazole insecticide used to control undesirable insect populations. Due its large-scale application, there the potential for surface waters’ contamination, with toxic action non-target organisms, and consequent impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Planarians are invertebrates these insecticides. They widespread in tropical freshwaters have been proposed as good candidates assess effects of freshwater systems contaminated by Thus, present study aims evaluate sublethal concentrations fipronil-based that may affect planarian physiology. After chronic exposure Regent 800 WG®, significant decrease locomotor velocity (LOEC—6.25 mg·L−1), regeneration auricles photoreceptors (LOEC—3.13 reproduction (fecundity—LOEC 12.5 mg·L−1) were observed. The results our demonstrate long-term can compromise while reinforcing need better investigation complementary parameters (such behavior, regeneration, reproduction) more accurate risk assessment commercial pesticide toxicity systems.