The chronic effects of terbuthylazine-2-hydroxy on early life stages of marbled crayfish (Procambarus fallax f. virginalis)

This study assessed the chronic effects of terbuthylazine-2-hydroxy (T2H), one of the main terbuthylazine deg-radation products, on early life stages of marbled crayfish (Procambarus fallax f. virginalis) by means of mortality, growth rate, early ontogeny, oxidative stress, antioxidant defence and histopathology. The crayfish were exposed to four concentrations of the tested substance as follows: 0.751 mu g/I (environmental concentration), 75, 375 and 750 mu g/I for 62 days. Concentrations over 75 mu g/I caused lower weight compared to the control group. T2H at 750 mu g caused delay in ontogenetic development. Levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and total su-peroxide dismutase activity were significantly (p < 0.01) lower in groups exposed to 375 and 750 mu g/I T2H. Cra-yfish in these treatments also showed alteration of tubular system including disintegration of tubular epithelium with complete loss of structure in some places of hepatopancreas and wall thinning up to disintegration of bran-chial filaments with focal infiltrations of hemocytes. In conclusion, chronic terbuthylazine-2-hydroxy exposure in concentrations up 75 mu g/1 (100 times higher than environmental concentration) affected growth, ontogenetic de-velopment, antioxidant system, caused oxidative stress and pathological changes in hepatopancreas of early life stages of marbled crayfish. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.