Validation test with embryonic and larval stages of Chordodes nobilii (Gordiida, Nematomorpha): sensitivity to three reference toxicants.

Chordodes nobilii is a parasite whose pre- and postparasitic stages are found in different types of freshwater bodies. Due to the peculiarities of its life cycle, it acts as a link between freshwater bodies and terrestrial ecosystems. There is little toxicological information on the group Gordiida. It is only known that embryos and larvae of C. nobilii are sensitive to glyphosate and malathion at relevant concentrations in the environment. On this basis, the aims of this study were to characterize the sensitivity of the pre-parasitic stages of C. nobilii to three reference toxicants: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cadmium chloride and potassium dichromate (Cr(6+)), and to validate a previous experimental protocol for ecotoxicological risk assessment. The protocol involved acute exposure of early embryonic stages and larvae to the three toxicants for 96 h and 48 h, respectively. Embryo development was inhibited only by Cr(6+) which presented a IC(50) of 0.71 mg Cr(6+)L(-1). The development of the eggs exposed to SDS and those exposed to cadmium chloride showed no differences as compared to that of controls. However, the infective capacity of larvae derived from the eggs exposed to the three toxicants was lower than that of controls. Larval survival was affected even at the lowest concentration of the three toxicants assayed. In relation to other freshwater organisms, C. nobilii can be characterized as an organism medium to highly sensitive to the toxicants tested.