The Effects of Carbendazim on Acute Toxicity, Development, and Reproduction in <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>
Jie Li, Xinghua Zhou, Caiqin Zhang, Yansheng Zhao, Ying Zhu, Jiayan Zhang, Juan Bai, Xiang Xiao
Abstract
Carbendazim, as a fungicide, was commonly used to control fungal diseases in agriculture, forestry, and veterinary medicines. In this study, the acute and reproductive toxicity of carbendazim was assessed using Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) as a model in order to preliminarily evaluate the potential risks of this fungicide in agricultural production and application. The results showed that the growth of C. elegans was inhibited by 0.01 μ g/L carbendazim. The treatment of 0.1 μ g/L carbendazim caused a significant decrease in locomotion behavior and significant damage to the reproductive and antioxidant system, causing the lifespan of nematodes to be drastically shortened. These results provide a better understanding of the environmental risk of carbendazim and raise new concerns about safety.