Meta-análise dos efeitos da atrazina na mortalidade de animais

Abstract

A atrazine (ATZ) is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, due to its high accessibility and effectiveness in controlling weeds, being widely used in corn and sugarcane plantations. Applied directly to the soil or sprayed on crops, it is also frequently detected in surface and groundwater due to its long half-life; thus, it can progressively accumulate in environmental compartments and affect non-target organisms. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the lethal effects of ATZ in different animal species, based on a meta-analytical review addressing studies with environmental concentrations of ATZ. The search was carried out in the Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed databases and after the selection process was completed, 49 datasets were generated and analyzed. The global effect indicated a significant increase in the mortality rate recorded for animals exposed to ambient concentrations of ATZ compared to the control in the experiment (non-exposed animals). The segregation of animals into taxonomic categories showed that amphibians, fish and insects had higher mortality rates after exposure to the investigated substance. The present meta-analysis indicated that in the life stages, larval and juvenile animals were more susceptible than adult individuals and embryos exposed to different concentrations of ATZ. Organisms that were exposed to ATZ by immersion showed an increase in mortality. The animals submitted to the commercial and pure formulation also had a higher mortality rate. Thus, ATZ can indeed increase the mortality rate in animals, but it depends on the sensitivity of the species, the life stage and, the way of exposure. This is the first meta-analytical study evaluating the mortality rate after ATZ exposure in various animal species.