Pesticide mixtures, endocrine disruption, and amphibian declines: are we underestimating the impact?
2006
Effects of Pesticide Mixtures on Frog Development
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Hayes TB, Case P, Chui S, Chung D, Haeffele C, Haston K
Primary Institution: North Carolina State University
Hypothesis
Do pesticide mixtures have greater-than-additive effects on amphibian development?
Conclusion
The study suggests that the combined effects of pesticide mixtures do not exceed the sum of their individual effects.
Supporting Evidence
- The pesticide mixture had a much greater effect on developmental parameters than did the individual chemicals.
- Eight of nine pesticides prolonged the time to foreleg emergence.
- Nine of nine chemicals prolonged the time to tail resorption.
- The response addition model predicted that the mixture would prolong developmental time points.
Takeaway
When frogs are exposed to a mix of pesticides, it doesn't make them more affected than if they were just exposed to each one separately.
Methodology
The study assessed the effects of nine pesticides on frog development by measuring time to foreleg emergence and tail resorption.
Limitations
The experiments were not designed to assess concentration additivity.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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