Biomarker responses in fish caged in a rice field during a bifenthrin application

The use of pesticides in integrated rice-fish farming could have an impact on fish health. The present study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the biological effects of the insecticide bifenthrin on fish (Piaractus mesopotamicus and Hoplosternum littorale) using a caging experiment. Fish were divided into two sites: control (C) and bifenthrin exposure (BF). Two cages (n = 8 fish/cage) per species were placed separately at each site. The BF application (Seizer ®) was carried out with a coastal sprayer according to the BF recommended dose for rice cultivation (0.1 L/ha). After 72 h, fish were collected, and gills, liver, brain, and muscle were dissected for the analysis of biomarkers of accumulation, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity. In P. mesopotamicus, the main changes were observed in the muscle, where BF accumulated and induced neurotoxicity (inhibition of cholinesterase activity) and oxidative stress (activation of antioxidant enzymes, decreased glutathione levels, increased lipid peroxidation). The gills and liver also showed changes in some markers of the antioxidant system. In H. littorale, BF exposure induced changes in oxidative stress biomarkers in liver (activation of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation) and gill tissues (alteration in antioxidant markers). These results show that the use of bifenthrin in rice fields poses a risk to fish farming under current pesticide management practices. Furthermore, its use could affect other species in these agroecosystems, highlighting the need for further studies to assess the ecological and productive consequences in a context of increasing pyrethroid use worldwide.