Predicting low-concentration effects of pesticides.

ABSTRACT: We present a model to identify the effects of low toxicant concentrations. Due to inadequate models, such effects have so far often been misinterpreted as random variability. Instead, a tri-phasic relationship describes the effects of a toxicant when a broad range of concentrations is assessed: i) at high concentrations where substantial mortality occurs (LC₅₀), we confirmed the traditional sigmoidal response curve (ii) at low concentrations about 10 times below the LC₅₀, we identified higher survival than previously modelled, and (iii) at ultra-low concentrations starting at around 100 times below the LC₅₀, higher mortality than previously modelled. This suggests that individuals benefit from low toxicant stress. Accordingly, we postulate that in the absen

SUBMITTER: Liess M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6813311 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature