Impact of toxicological properties of sulfonamides on the growth of zebrafish embryos in the water

• Low concentration of sulfonamides causes sub-lethal toxicity of zebrafish.
• Zebrafish at embryonic period is more sensitive to lethal toxicity than at alevin.
• The results call attention to the antibiotics ecological risk in water.

Extensive use of pharmaceutical compounds may result in contamination of water bodies lying adjacent to areas where there is a high level of human activity. To evaluate potential risks to fish embryos, three sulfonamides were investigated, by means of an extended zebrafish (Danio rerio) toxicity test. The bio-toxicity of antibacterial sulfonamides, at low concentrations, was investigated by observing lethal and sub-lethal effects on embryos and larvae. Results indicated that sulfonamides caused obvious toxic effects on spontaneous movements, heartbeats and hatching of t embryos, and also resulted in malformations in embryos and larvae. A significant toxicity effect was observed in zebrafish embryos and larvae that had been exposed to a low concentration of sulfadimidine (0.001 mg/L), and a significant difference was noted between the exposed and the blank control groups. Exposure to a low concentration of sulfonamide resulted in characteristic malformations, including pericardial edema, yolk sac edema, hemoglutinations, tail deformation and swim bladder defects.