Disentangling Mechanisms Behind Chronic Lethality through Toxicokinetic-Toxicodynamic Modeling

Ecotoxicological profiles of the 3 insecticides imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and flupyradifurone in terms of acute and chronic effects were analyzed in Chironomus riparius. Toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic modeling revealed that chironomids would die from starvation as a result of prolonged feeding inhibition under chronic exposures. The starvation effect is an indirect cause for mortality, which, for the neonicotinoids, adds to the direct/acute mortality, although the results suggests that this additional effect is not relevant for flupyradifurone. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;00:1-7. (c) 2021 Bayer Inc. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Automated summary

The ecotoxicological profiles of the insecticides imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and flupyradifurone in Chironomus riparius were analyzed in terms of acute and chronic effects. The toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic modeling revealed that chironomids would die from starvation due to prolonged feeding inhibition under chronic exposures. The study suggests that the additional effect of starvation is not relevant for flupyradifurone.