The fungicide chlorothalonil is nonlinearly associated with corticosterone levels, immunity, and mortality in amphibians.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Contaminants have been implicated in declines of amphibians, a taxon with vital systems similar to those of humans. However, many chemicals have not been thoroughly tested on amphibians or do not directly kill them.

Objective

Our goal in this study was to quantify amphibian responses to chlorothalonil, the most commonly used synthetic fungicide in the United States.

Methods

We reared Rana sphenocephala (southern leopard frog) and Osteopilus septentrionalis (Cuban treefrog) in outdoor mesocosms with or without 1 time (1×) and 2 times (2×) the expected environmental concentration (EEC) of chlorothalonil (~ 164 μg/L). We also conducted two dose-response experiments on O. septentrionalis, Hyla squirella (squirrel treefrog), Hyla cinerea (green treefrog), and R.

SUBMITTER: McMahon TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3237349 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature