title: Responses of the aquatic midge Chironomus riparius to DEET exposure.
abstract: N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) is the active ingredient of many commercial insect repellents. Despite being detected worldwide in effluents, surface water and groundwater, there is still limited information on DEET's toxicity toward non-target aquatic invertebrates. Thus, our main objective was to assess the effects of DEET in the life cycle of Chironomus riparius and assess its biochemical effects. Laboratory assays showed that DEET reduced developmental rates (reduced larval growth, delayed emergence) of C. riparius larvae and also caused a decrease in the size of adult midges. Concerning the biochemical responses, a short exposure to DEET caused no effects in lipid peroxidation, despite the significant inhibition of catalase and glutathione-S-transferase activities and of total glutathione contents. Moreover, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity was also observed showing neurotoxic effects. Environmental risk assessment of insect repellents is needed. Our results showed moderate toxicity of DEET toward C. riparius, however, due to their mode of action, indirect ecological effects of DEET and of other insect repellents cannot be excluded and should be evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gravato
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quintaneiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Amadeu M V M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Electronic address: jpestana@ua.pt.
authors.forename: João L T
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pestana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002683:Chironomidae / Q000187:drug effects*; D003671:DEET / Q000633:toxicity*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003671:DEET; D002374:Catalase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Biochemical responses; Emergent pollutants; Freshwater insects; N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide; Personal care products