Using behavioral and biochemical biomarkers to assess the effects of a nitrate and pesticide mixture on Gammarus fossarum in mesocosms implanted in a constructed wetland (Seine-et-Marne, France)
Abstract
A part of pesticides and nitrates used to optimize food production, is transferred to the hydrosphere via runoff and drainage networks. These chemicals can interact with biota, generating adverse effects on aquatic fauna and associated ecosystem functions. Agricultural constructed wetlands (CWs), located between crops and hydrosystems, help to mitigate pesticide and nitrate pollution thanks to their natural retention properties. However, they could become significant contamination points and affect native aquatic fauna. We aimed to assess the potential for an agricultural CW (northern France) to contain negative effects of chemical pollution on aquatic invertebrates. We exposed Gammarus fossarum in cages in outdoor mesocosms located in the CW to a mixture of pesticides and nitrates commonly found in the CW. We carried out four exposure series, each lasting one week, with systematic renewal of caged gammarids. At the end of each exposure week, we studied individual/populational traits (survival, amplexus, ingestion rate, and locomotor activity), and biochemical biomarkers (activity of enzymes involved in neurotransmission, energy acquisition, non-specific immunity, detoxification, and molting). We show significant effects of pesticides and/or nitrates on amplexus rate, locomotor activity, and biochemical changes in neurotransmission, energy acquisition, non-specific immunity, and molting. This suggests that behavioral and subcellular disturbances may occur in aquatic fauna of agricultural CWs, with possible repercussions up to the population level. Despite limitations related to environmental variability and limited replication, which may affect the interpretation of the results, this study demonstrates the usefulness of using aquatic sentinel species, such as Gammarus spp., in semi-controlled outdoor mesocosms for assessing the unintended effects of pesticides and nitrates circulating in agricultural CWs on aquatic fauna.
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BibTeX
@article{michel2026using,
title = {{Using behavioral and biochemical biomarkers to assess the effects of a nitrate and pesticide mixture on Gammarus fossarum in mesocosms implanted in a constructed wetland (Seine-et-Marne, France)}},
author = {Alexandre J.W. Michel and Cédric Chaumont and Léo Persat and Alienor Jeliazkov and Julien Tournebize and Jérémie D Lebrun},
journal = {Aquatic Toxicology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107922},
url = {https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05746507v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Using behavioral and biochemical biomarkers to assess the effects of a nitrate and pesticide mixture on Gammarus fossarum in mesocosms implanted in a constructed wetland (Seine-et-Marne, France)
AU - Alexandre J.W. Michel
AU - Cédric Chaumont
AU - Léo Persat
AU - Alienor Jeliazkov
AU - Julien Tournebize
AU - Jérémie D Lebrun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
JO - Aquatic Toxicology
DO - 10.1016/j.aquatox.2026.107922
UR - https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05746507v1
AB - A part of pesticides and nitrates used to optimize food production, is transferred to the hydrosphere via runoff and drainage networks. These chemicals can interact with biota, generating adverse effects on aquatic fauna and associated ecosystem functions. Agricultural constructed wetlands (CWs), located between crops and hydrosystems, help to mitigate pesticide and nitrate pollution thanks to their natural retention properties. However, they could become significant contamination points and affect native aquatic fauna. We aimed to assess the potential for an agricultural CW (northern France) to contain negative effects of chemical pollution on aquatic invertebrates. We exposed Gammarus fossarum in cages in outdoor mesocosms located in the CW to a mixture of pesticides and nitrates commonly found in the CW. We carried out four exposure series, each lasting one week, with systematic renewal of caged gammarids. At the end of each exposure week, we studied individual/populational traits (survival, amplexus, ingestion rate, and locomotor activity), and biochemical biomarkers (activity of enzymes involved in neurotransmission, energy acquisition, non-specific immunity, detoxification, and molting). We show significant effects of pesticides and/or nitrates on amplexus rate, locomotor activity, and biochemical changes in neurotransmission, energy acquisition, non-specific immunity, and molting. This suggests that behavioral and subcellular disturbances may occur in aquatic fauna of agricultural CWs, with possible repercussions up to the population level. Despite limitations related to environmental variability and limited replication, which may affect the interpretation of the results, this study demonstrates the usefulness of using aquatic sentinel species, such as Gammarus spp., in semi-controlled outdoor mesocosms for assessing the unintended effects of pesticides and nitrates circulating in agricultural CWs on aquatic fauna.
SN - 0166-445X
ER -