Toxic and genotoxic effects of the imazethapyr-based herbicide formulation Pivot H® on montevideo tree frog Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles (Anura, Hylidae)

• Lethality and genotoxicity of imazethapyr were used as endpoints in H. pulchellus.
• Imazethapyr-based formulations induced DNA primary lesions in blood cells.
• First evidence of genotoxicity exerted by imazethapyr-based formulations on tadpoles.

Acute lethal and sublethal toxicity of the imidazolinone imazethapyr (IMZT)-based commercial formulation herbicide Pivot H® (10.59% IMZT) was evaluated on Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles. Whereas mortality was used as the end point for lethality, frequency of micronuclei (MNs) and other nuclear abnormalities as well as DNA single-strand breaks evaluated by the single cell gel electrophoresis assay were employed to test genotoxicity. Behavioral, growth, developmental, and morphological abnormalities were also employed as sublethal end points. Mortality studies revealed equivalent LC50 (96 h) values of 1.49 mg/L (confidence limit, 1.09–1.63) and 1.55 mg/L (confidence limit, 1.51–1.60) IMZT for Gosner stage (GS) 25 and GS36, respectively. Behavioral changes, i.e., irregular swimming and immobility, as well as a decreased frequency of keratodonts were observed. The herbicide increased the frequency of MNs in circulating erythrocytes of tadpoles exposed for 48 h to the highest concentration assayed (1.17 mg/L). However, regardless of the concentration of the herbicide assayed, an enhanced frequency of MNs was observed in tadpoles exposed for 96 h. The herbicide was able to induce other nuclear abnormalities, i.e., blebbed and notched nuclei, only when tadpoles were exposed for 96 h. In addition, we observed that exposure to IMZT within the 0.39–1.17 mg/L range increased the genetic damage index in treatments lasting for both 48 and 96 h. This study represents the first evidence of acute lethal and sublethal effects exerted by IMZT on amphibians. Finally, our findings highlight the properties of this herbicide that jeopardize nontarget living species exposed to IMZT.