Effet du lindane sur la croissance pondérale d'Asellus aquaticus L. (crustacé, isopode) en laboratoire et en mésocosme

La croissance pondérale estimée par le taux instantané de croissance (b) d'Asellus aquaticus L. a été évaluée dans des conditions de laboratoire et en milieu naturel dans des mésocosmes. L'influence d'une contamination par du lindane (insecticide organochloré) a été étudiée. Au laboratoire, la durée d'exposition au lindane a été de 20 jours, sa concentration de 4 µg.l-1 au départ était de l'ordre de 2 µg.l-1 à la fin de la période d'exposition : la température a été constante (15 °C) et la photopériode 12/12 heures. Dans les mésocosmes, l'expérimentation a duré du mois de juin au mois de février. Au départ, la concentration du lindane était de 4,5 µg.l-1, elle était voisine de zéro en février. On constate que le taux instantané de croissance (b) est plus élevé dans les mésocosmes qu'au laboratoire, en milieu contaminé qu'en milieu témoin. Dans les conditions de laboratoire il est environ 2,6 lois plus élevé pour des aselles contaminées (de poids compris entre 7 et 12 mg) que pour les aselles témoins. Cette augmentation est significative de l'action du lindane. Dans les mésocosmes, l'augmentation du taux instantané de croissance des aselles maintenues en milieu contaminé par rapport à celles provenant de milieu non contaminé n'est statistiquement significative qu'au septième mois après le début de la contamination par le lindane, elle ne l'est plus au huitième. Il semble que d'autres facteurs puissent expliquer cette augmentation, en particulier la qualité de l'alimentation est discutée. Aussi ne peut-on affirmer que le lindane dans les conditions naturelles est responsable d'une élévation du taux instantané de croissance de l'aselle.We estimated the ponderal growth (instantaneous growth rate) of a fresh-water invertebrate Asellus aquaticus L. (Crustacea, isopoda), bred under laboratory conditions and in experimental mesocosms. Contamination by the insecticide lindane (Pepro 99 % purity) was studied.To estimate the instantaneous growth rate we used the formula Wt = Wo exp Mt) in what Wo is the median weight class of Asellus at the beginning of experiment. Wt is the median weight after 20 days, dj is the days number multiplied by median temperature above 3 °C of considered period (3 °C is considered as minimal temperature below that no development is possible). Seven classe were constituted : class 1 (2 mg to 6.99 mg), 2 (7 to 11.99), 3 (12 to 16.99), 4 (17 to 21.99), 5 (22 to 26.99), 6 (27 to 31.99) and 7 (32 to 36.99). The instantaneous growth rate is calculated for this seven class weight and for each replicate, next median and standard error were calculated for each class. The number of replicate vary among class weight. It was : 22, 33, 29, 22, 16, 15 and 13 respectively for class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.Asellus were preleved in natural ponds, acclimated in laboratory conditions during a minimal period of 15 days before that they are used for experiment. (glass containers of 30 litres, filled with hall tap-water hall pond-water, feed with maple leaves).In laboratory conditions Asellus were kept in glass aquarium (15 x 20 x 18 cm) filled with 2 litres of water.Physico-chemical parameters of water were : pH = 8.2; total hardness =155 mg 1-1 measured as Ca C03; nitrites = 0.055 mg 1-1; nitrates = 3 mg 1-1; chloride = 73 mg l-1 as Na C1. Laboratory breeding conditions were a tempera-tare of 15 °C and a 12/12 hours photoperiod. Contamination tasted 20 days, lindane concentration was 4,5 µg. l-1 (near the median lethal concentration, 48 hours : 5.14 µg.1-1) at the beginning of the experiment and approximatively 2 µg.1-1 at the end. Twenty Asellus of the same weight class were deposed in each glass. The diet was constitued with maple leaves. For contamination study only Asellus of class 7 to 11.99 was study. Ten replicates were realised.The mesocosms were constituted by two rectangular basins 10 meters in length, 2.5 m in width and 50 to 60 cm in deep. To secure a good water-thightness, bottom and sides were covered with black polyane 150 µm in thick, sediment and sand were deposed on the bottom on 5 to 10 cm in thick. Next basins were gradually (July 1987 to January 1988) filled up with tapwater. Natural colonization by phytoplankton and insects were observed, whereas vegetable (Ranunculus aquatilis, Typha angustifolia, Scirpus palustris and Ceratophyllum submersum) and invertebrates (Asellus, Planaria and Leech) were introduced by us. One mesocosm was contaminated by surface spraying with lindane acetonic solution.Thirty of a same weight class were placed in 25 x 12 x 7 cm plastic box, with a total of 20 lateral openings on either side (1.2 cm in diameter) disposed in two rows and covered with fine mesh net (150 µm in opening). The center part of the lid was cut out and also covered with the same fine mesh net. A bed of maple leaves was placed on the bottom of the box. This containers were then distributed throughout bath the control and lindane contaminated basins. Between 15 to 20 days later, this containers were collected and brought back to the laboratory. All the specimens were weighted and once divided into size classes and returned to their experimental basins. The experiment started in June 1988 and lasted till February 1989. The lindane concentration was 4.5 µg.l-1 at the beginning and near zero at the end.For the control, in laboratory condition or in mesocosm, we observed that the instantaneous growth rate decrease when the median weight of the class increase. It vary to 0.1131 mg.mg- 1.dj-1 to 0.0183 mg.mg-1.dj-1 and to 0.2704 mg.mg-1.dj-1 to 0.0879 mg.mg-1.dj-1 respectively in laboratory condition and mesocosm. Significant correlation (level 0.001) was observed between the logarithm of instantaneous growth rate and logarithm of the weight. Slope of regression lines does not vary, only position differ. Growth rate was higher in the mesocosm than in laboratory. In laboratory conditions lindane contamination induce a variation of instantaneous growth rate. An significant increase of 2.6 was observed between contaminated and control for Asellus of weight class 7 to 11.99 mg. In the contaminated mesocosm, a correlation is noted between instantaneous growth rate and weight, it is significant only for 3 collections dates (December 1988, January 1989 and February 1989). No variation in the slope of linear regression is noted, position differ significatively (level 0.01) only in February. For this collection date instantaneous growth rate is higher in contaminated mesocosm than in control. It appear that other factors that lindane contamination may also explain this increase. Among these, food quality has been envisaged by different authors. In conclusion is noted that in laboratory condition lindane induce an increase of instantaneous growth rate, in mesocosm we can't affirm that lindane was the responsible for the increase of instantaneous growth rate. Other experiments are necessary to confirm this observation

Les risques environnementaux en 2020 : état des lieux et leçons d’une réflexion prospective à INRAE★

De nombreux territoires font face à des risques grandissants et de plus en plus multiples et interconnectés. Sur la base du matériel rassemblé lors d’un atelier de prospective INRAE et d’une analyse bibliographique et bibliométrique, cet article propose un état des lieux transversal des risques environnementaux en 2020 et de la recherche menée à INRAE sur le sujet. Le périmètre de l’analyse inclut les risques de catastrophe, les risques physicochimiques et les risques pour les écosystèmes. Les leçons de cet état des lieux sont mises en perspective au regard des besoins de la recherche nationale et internationale sur le sujet et du contexte d’urgence environnementale actuelle. L’analyse fait ressortir l’intérêt d’une approche holistique et intégrée des risques environnementaux incluant l’ensemble du périmètre considéré et la nécessité d’inscrire l’appréhension des risques environnementaux dans une démarche de sciences de la durabilité pour surmonter les verrous associés

Hepatic gene expression in flounder chronically exposed to multiply polluted estuarine sediment: Absence of classical exposure ‘biomarker’ signals and induction of inflammatory, innate immune and apoptotic pathways

The effects of chronic long term exposure to multiply-polluted environments on fish are not well understood, but environmental surveys suggest that such exposure may cause a variety of pathologies, including cancers. Transcriptomic profiling has recently been used to assess gene expression in European flounder (Platichthys flesus) living in several polluted and clean estuaries. However, the gene expression changes detected were not unequivocally elicited by pollution, most likely due to the confounding effects of natural estuarine ecosystem variables. In this study flounder from an uncontaminated estuary were held on clean or polluted sediments in mesocosms, allowing control of variables such as salinity, temperature, and diet. After 7 months flounder were removed from each mesocosm and hepatocytes prepared from fish exposed to clean or polluted sediments. The hepatocytes were treated with benzo(a)pyrene (BAP), estradiol (E2), copper, a mixture of these three, or with the vehicle DMSO. A flounder cDNA microarray was then used to measure hepatocyte transcript abundance after each treatment. The results show that long term chronic exposure to a multiply-polluted sediment causes increases in the expression of mRNAs coding for proteins of the endogenous apoptotic program, of innate immunity and inflammation. Contrary to expectation, the expression of mRNAs which are commonly used as biomarkers of environmental exposure to particular contaminants were not changed, or were changed contrary to expectation. However, acute treatment of hepatocytes from flounder from both clean and polluted sediments with BAP or E2 caused the expected changes in the expression of these biomarkers. Thus transcriptomic analysis of flounder exposed long-term to chronic pollution causes a different pattern of gene expression than in fish acutely treated with single chemicals, and reveals novel potential biomarkers of environmental contaminant exposure. These novel biomarkers include Diablo, a gene involved in apoptotic pathways and highly differentially regulated by both chronic and acute exposure to multiple pollutants

Les risques environnementaux en 2020 : une feuille de route pour INRAE★

INRAE a mené une réflexion prospective collective sur les risques environnementaux dans une perspective inter- et transdisciplinaire inscrite dans le cadre des sciences de la durabilité. Les risques pour les sociétés, les écosystèmes et les milieux ont été considérés conjointement et de façon holistique. Cet article résume les quatre priorités scientifiques identifiées, exprimées de manière transverse. Une feuille de route pour atteindre ces objectifs est également proposée, incluant les ressources humaines, les infrastructures, l’animation scientifique et les partenariats. Ces conclusions devraient participer à la structuration de la recherche française et internationale, et constituer ainsi une contribution significative à l’effort requis par l’urgence environnementale actuelle

Structural and functional responses of benthic invertebrates to imidacloprid in outdoor stream mesocosms

Structural and functional responses of a benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage to pulses of the insecticide imidacloprid were assessed in outdoor stream mesocosms. Imidacloprid pulses reduced invertebrate abundance and community diversity in imidacloprid-dosed streams compared to control streams. These results correlated well with effects of imidacloprid on leaf litter decomposition and feeding rates of Pteronarcys comstocki, a stonefly, in artificial streams. Reductions in oxygen consumption of stoneflies exposed to imidacloprid were also observed in laboratory experiments. Our findings suggest that leaf litter degradation and single species responses can be sensitive ecotoxicological endpoints that can be used as early warning indicators and biomonitoring tools for pesticide contamination. The data generated illustrates the value of mesocosm experiments in environmental assessment and how the consideration of functional and structural endpoints of natural communities together with in situ single species bioassays can improve the evaluation and prediction of pesticide effects on stream ecosystems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Environment Canada’s Pesticide Science FundFC

Interspecific competition delays recovery of Daphnia spp. populations from pesticide stress

Xenobiotics alter the balance of competition between species and induce shifts in community composition. However, little is known about how these alterations affect the recovery of sensitive taxa. We exposed zooplankton communities to esfenvalerate (0.03, 0.3, and 3 μg/L) in outdoor microcosms and investigated the long-term effects on populations of Daphnia spp. To cover a broad and realistic range of environmental conditions, we established 96 microcosms with different treatments of shading and periodic harvesting. Populations of Daphnia spp. decreased in abundance for more than 8 weeks after contamination at 0.3 and 3 μg/L esfenvalerate. The period required for recovery at 0.3 and 3 μg/L was more than eight and three times longer, respectively, than the recovery period that was predicted on the basis of the life cycle of Daphnia spp. without considering the environmental context. We found that the recovery of sensitive Daphnia spp. populations depended on the initial pesticide survival and the related increase of less sensitive, competing taxa. We assert that this increase in the abundance of competing species, as well as sub-lethal effects of esfenvalerate, caused the unexpectedly prolonged effects of esfenvalerate on populations of Daphnia spp. We conclude that assessing biotic interactions is essential to understand and hence predict the effects and recovery from toxicant stress in communities

International Science Foresight Workshop: Global Challenges and Research Gaps. The Royaumont process.

How scientists might better contribute to SDGs in the land sector? At the invitation of INRAE, a group of high-level international experts delivers a comprehensive and systemic approach

Réactions de semis naturels de hêtre (Fagus sylvatica L.) et d'érable sycomore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) à l'ouverture du couvert : croissance et ajustements fonctionnels

Management of mixed forests relies mainly on natural regeneration dynamics and canopy opening is particularly critical during regeneration process. Acquiring knowledge about reactions of different tree species to opening is important as advanced understory sapling bank constitutes an important potential for future stand reconstitution. Gap creation induces rapid change in sapling growth conditions (larger light and soil water availability, higher vapour pressure deficit...). Growth of pre-existing seedlings is often delayed for a few months up to several years after a gap opening. We hypothesized that this delay might be ascribed to the time needed for acclimation of advanced sapling exposed to the new light environment. Four shade tolerant species (beech, sycamore maple, Norway maple and field maple) in advanced seedling banks were studied. For 2 years after canopy opening, the sapling growth response was caracterized and the growth delay was explain by an analysis of morphological and physiological components of growth. Following canopy opening, mortality was low and diameter growth increased from the first year onwards whereas height growth increase was delayed for one year. Beech and sycamore have shown plasticity of leaf structure (increase of LMA) and tree architecture as influenced by canopy opening. Beech reacted also by allocating more biomass to root and cambial growth increasing this capacity to supply water to leaves. Nevertheless leaf carbon assimilation did not increase much the first year. This may be due in part to increased vulnerability to cavitation in beech under gap. The second year after opening, beech and sycamore seedling acclimation was almost achieved, both species having now an active diameter and height growth.Le renouvellement des formations mélangées repose essentiellement sur des dynamiques naturelles de régénération et une phase particulièrement critique dans ce processus est celle de l'ouverture du couvert. La banque de semis pré-existant sous couvert constitue un potentiel important pour la recomposition du futur peuplement et la connaissance de la réaction des différentes espèces constituant cette banque de semis à l'ouverture du couvert est importante. La création d'une trouée induit un changement rapide des conditions de croissance des semis (plus grande disponibilité en lumière et en eau, plus grand deficit de pression de vapeur d'eau...). Suite à l'ouverture de la canopée, l'augmentation de croissance des semis est souvent retardée de quelques mois à quelques années. Nous supposons que ce délai peut refléter le temps nécessaire à l'acclimatation des semis pré-existants exposé à un nouvel environnement lumineux. Quatre espèces tolérantes à l'ombre et constituant une banque de semis pré-existant sous couvert (le hêtre, l'érable sycomore, l'érable plane et l'érable champêtre) ont été étudiées. Durant 2 ans après l'ouverture du couvert, la réponse de croissance des semis est caractérisée et le délai avant la reprise de croissance est expliqué par une étude des composantes morphologiques et physiologiques de la croissance. Suite à l'ouverture du couvert, la mortalité des semis était faible. La croissance en diamètre augmentait dés la première année après la création de la trouée et l'augmentation de croissance en hauteur était retardée de un an. Hêtre et érable sycomore montraient une plasticité de réponse à l'ouverture du couvert avec des changements structuraux (augmentation de LMA) et dans l'architecture des semis. Le hêtre réagissait aussi en allouant plus de biomasse vers la croissance racinaire et cambiale, augmentant sa capacité d'alimenter en eau les feuilles. Néanmoins, l'augmentation d'assimilation foliaire restait limitée la première année après l'ouverture du couvert. Ceci pouvait être en partie attribué chez le hêtre à l'augmentation de la vulnérabilité à la cavitation. La deuxième année, l'acclimatation des semis était en grande partie réalisée pour le hêtre et l'érable sycomore, qui avaient repris une croissance en diamètre et en hauteur active