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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Characterization of Aquatic Biofilms with Flow Cytometry
Published on: June 6, 2018
Bioconcentration and ecotoxicity of sulfadiazine in the aquatic midge Chironomus riparius
Zhengxin Xie1, Jun Tang1, Xiangwei Wu1
1Key Laboratory of Agri-food Safety of Anhui Province, School of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
Abstract:
Although sulfadiazine (SDZ) is widespread in aquatic environments, information regarding the effects of SDZ on aquatic insects is still limited. In the present study, the bioconcentration and the effects of SDZ on the antioxidant system and the expression of endocrine and stress-related genes in Chironomus riparius larvae were investigated. The larvae were exposed to SDZ at the nominal concentrations of 2, 20 and 200 μg/L for 48 h. The results showed that SDZ was taken up by C. riparius despite presenting low bioconcentration factor values (0.99-3.92). In addition, superoxide dismutase activity was markedly reduced compared with the control group, whereas the levels of malondialdehyde were not significantly affected by SDZ. Moreover, the mRNA expression of genes related to heat shock proteins (Hsp70 and Hsp27) and ecdysone pathway (EcR and E74) were significantly up-regulated following all SDZ treatments. In aggregate, our work provides novel and interesting results regarding the potential biochemical and genetic effects of SDZ on freshwater insects.
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