Toxicity of a Common Glyphosate Metabolite to the Freshwater Planarian ( Girardia tigrina )

Sharon T. Pochron (), Samy Sasoun, Siddhartha Maharjan, Wali U. Pirzada, Samantha Byrne, Mary Girgis, Morgan A. Jacobellis, Johanna A. Mitra, Alec S. Miranda, Grace Van Gelder and Sayeed Khan
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Sharon T. Pochron: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Samy Sasoun: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Siddhartha Maharjan: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Wali U. Pirzada: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Samantha Byrne: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Mary Girgis: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Morgan A. Jacobellis: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Johanna A. Mitra: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Alec S. Miranda: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Grace Van Gelder: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA
Sayeed Khan: Sustainability Studies Program, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3435, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-11

Abstract: To establish meaningful policy directives for sustainable agrochemical use, we require baseline knowledge of the impacts of agrochemicals on non-target organisms. The widespread use of the herbicide glyphosate has resulted in the global presence of its metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). AMPA is commonly found in water bodies, including freshwater systems. We investigated the effects of AMPA exposure on the survivorship, regenerative abilities, and locomotion of the brown planarian ( Girardia tigrina ), a water-dwelling flatworm commonly found in freshwater ecosystems. In a series of experiments, we bisected and then exposed planarians to realistic field doses of AMPA for seven days and then fourteen days. For the 14-day experiment, we exposed planarians to two concentrations consistent with the high and low ranges of concentrations observed in water systems. Compared to the control group, we found that planarians exposed to AMPA for fourteen days (un-bisected for the first seven days and recovering from bisection for the subsequent seven) exhibited slower regeneration from the tail segment. Our findings highlight the potential ecological impacts of AMPA contamination on planarian populations. Quantifying the effects of AMPA exposure on planarians contributes to our understanding of the ecological consequences of our current and common agricultural practices on our freshwater ecosystems.

Keywords: water contamination; fertilizer; degradation product; flatworm; regeneration; phototaxis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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