2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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6/06/2017 | 9:15 AM - 9:30 AM | EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PESTICIDES ON AQUATIC INSECT BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY | 305B

EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PESTICIDES ON AQUATIC INSECT BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY

Pharmaceuticals are an emerging class of pollutants in aquatic systems and even very low concentrations of these chemicals may have sub-lethal effects on aquatic insects. Antihistamines are of particular concern because many invertebrates use histamines as neurotransmitters. We describe several experiments designed to investigate effects of common antihistamines (diphenhydramine, fexofenadine, hydroxyzine), an antidepressant (bupropion) and an insecticide (carbaryl) on behavior and predation in aquatic insects (Anax junius, Sympetrum semicinctum, Cybister fimbriolatus and Belostoma flumineum). After exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations for 1-3 days, we observed mixed evidence that these pollutants influence behavior and predation. Activity level of most insects was reduced in the presence of diphenhydramine or hydroxyzine but not with fexofenadine or buproprion. Exposure to hydroxyzine was associated with a significant reduction in cannibalism, but only for A. junius. Despite the short-term nature of these experiments, our results provide some evidence for sub-lethal effects of commonly prescribed antihistamines on aquatic insects. Scaling impacts from the population and community level to responses at the ecosystem level are critical to our ability to assess the impacts of these chemicals in nature.

C13 Ecotoxicology
C11 Community Ecology
S03 Stressing the 'Eco' in Freshwater Ecotoxicology

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Presenters/Authors

Patrick Crumrine (), Rowan University, crumrine@rowan.edu;