A multi-battery toxicity investigation on fungicides

Among many common pesticides, the fungicides are widely used and its consequences they are evaluated among many diffuse pollutants to be concerned for protecting aquatic environment. These compounds are generally composed of many individual inorganic and organic components. Because the main compound breaks down and follow a fate way in the environment therefore the toxicity of pesticides are always to be evaluated as complex and individual components based. This study evaluates the toxicity of a complex mixture (R6) fungicide and its individual components Cymoxanil (CYM) and copper oxychloride (Cu-OCI) which are used to control fungal growth on mostly grown fruits and vegetables (mainly Bonytis cinerea affecting grape vines or Plasmopara viticola damaging tomato plants) in Italy. A bioassay battery (Artemiafranciscana; Daphnia magna, and Selenastrum capricornutum) was used to obtain different endpoints (immobilization and cell growth inhibition). The toxicity of CYM was observed ranking as follows: algal growth inhibition D. magna > Artemia. salina, while Cu-OCl exerted its toxicity ranking as: algal growth inhibition > D. magna A. salina. As their complex mixture R6 displayed also the ranking of algal growth inhibition > D. magna > A. salina. The fate of the pesticides should be detailed on more species from freshwater and marine organisms living in different environmental matrixes, of water, soil and sediment to produce reliable data for appropriate risk analysis.