Pharmaceuticals and personal care products alter the holobiome and development of a medically important mosquito.
The increasing demand for fresh water has forced many countries to use reclaimed wastewater for agricultural purposes. This water contains pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) that remain biologically active following passage through wastewater treatment plants. Run-off from farms and contaminated water from treatment facilities exposes aquatic ecosystems to PPCPs. This study examined the effects of PPCPs on a lower trophic organism. Culex quinquefasciatus larvae were reared in water contaminated with environmentally relevant concentrations of common PPCPs. Acetaminophen alone and a mixture of contaminants were found to increase developmental time of larvae. Susceptibility to Bti increased in larvae exposed to antibiotics, acetaminophen, or a mixture of PPCPs. Antibiotics, hormones, and the mixture altered the mosquito bacterial microbiome. Overall, the results indicate that at environmentally relevant concentrations, PPCPs in reclaimed water can have biologically important effects on an ecologically and medically important lower trophic level insect.
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Graduate Program in Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. Electronic address: mpenn001@ucr.edu.
Marcus J
MJ
Pennington
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Nicholas G
NG
Rivas
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Sean M
SM
Prager
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
William E
WE
Walton
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Graduate Program in Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
John T
JT
Trumble
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000633:toxicity; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D003465:Culex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D020387:Food Chain; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D018508:Water Purification
D000082:Acetaminophen; D003358:Cosmetics; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Chronic LC(50); Culex quinquefasciatus; Microbial community; PPCPs; Pollution