Toxic effects of chlorantraniliprole on zebrafish (Danio rerio) at different developmental stages under antibiotic pressure

Pesticides and antibiotics have been frequently reported in the environment, but it remains unclear whether antibiotics affect the toxicity of pesticides to aquatic organisms. In this study, the acute, developmental and reproductive toxicity effects of the pesticide chlorantraniliprole on zebrafish at different developmental stages under pressure of ciprofloxacin and erythromycin at environmental concentration were explored. Chlorantraniliprole, ciprofloxacin, and erythromycin are all low toxic to zebrafish (LC₅₀ > 100 mg/L), and environmental concentrations of antibiotics have no effect on the acute toxicity of chlorantraniliprole to zebrafish. However, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin at environmental concentrations exacerbate the early zebrafish embryo development toxicity of chlorantraniliprole, including abnormal heart and yolk sac development and oxidative stress damage. Additionally, co-exposure of chlorantraniliprole and ciprofloxacin or erythromycin can cause reproductive toxicity in adult zebrafish, resulting in a decrease in offspring quantity and hatching rate, as well as an increase in malformation rate. Greater disruption in the levels of reproductive hormones was observed, suggesting that co-exposure may lead to reproductive risks via endocrine disruptions. Therefore, the increased risks of pesticides to aquatic ecosystems due to the co-existed compounds should be taken into accounts.