Effects of hexavalent chromium on the biology of Steinernema feltiae: evaluating sublethal endpoints for ecotoxicity testing.

ABSTRACT: Essential information about the effects of a pollutant on an ecosystem can be obtained by observing how it influences a bioindicator organism. Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI+) naturally occurs in Irish agricultural soils at levels of up to 250 mg/kg, which raises concerns about potential negative impacts on human health and the surrounding areas. This research aimed to assess the sublethal effect concentrations (up to 300 ppm) of Cr VI + on the entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) Steinernema feltiae focusing on endpoints such as nematode movement and host finding ability in contaminated sand and pathogenicity, percentage penetration, sex ratio and reproduction in Galleria mellonella. To achieve that, an Irish isolate of S. feltiae [strain SB 12 (1)], was used in all experiments. The attraction of

SUBMITTER: Godjo A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11960951 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature