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Evaluating the Life-History Responses of Adult Invasive (Bithynia tentaculata) and Native (Physa gyrina) Snails Exposed to a Cu-Based Pesticide (EarthTec® QZ)

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Abstract

The faucet snail, Bithynia tentaculata, is an invasive snail that facilitates outbreaks of waterfowl disease in the Upper Mississippi River of the United States. In response, there is interest in identifying strategies that mitigate its population and spread. In this study we assessed the effects of a copper (Cu) molluscicide, EarthTec® QZ, at three concentrations (0, 0.1 and 0.6 mg/L Cu) on adult B. tentaculata and a coexisting native species, Physa gyrina. We found that in the 0.6 mg/L Cu treatment, ~ 68% of B. tentaculata snails remained alive after a 4-day exposure whereas all P. gyrina snails died. In contrast, a majority of both snail species remained alive and active after 4 days in the control and 0.1 mg/L Cu treatments. Although B. tentaculata demonstrated higher survivorship, it bioaccumulated more Cu than P. gyrina. Additionally, examination of B. tentaculata individuals revealed that females tended to exhibit higher mortality than males.

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by a Hardy W. Chan and Sons Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship awarded to A.R. Galbraith, the River Studies Center at UWL, and the UWL Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. We thank Dr. D. Hammond (Earth Science Laboratories) for providing EarthTec QZ and Y. Ma (UWL) for assistance with snail collections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA

    Alexandra R. Galbraith & Nadia Carmosini

  2. Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA

    Gregory J. Sandland

  3. River Studies Center, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, USA

    Gregory J. Sandland & Nadia Carmosini

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  1. Alexandra R. Galbraith
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  2. Gregory J. Sandland
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  3. Nadia Carmosini
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Correspondence to Nadia Carmosini.

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Galbraith, A.R., Sandland, G.J. & Carmosini, N. Evaluating the Life-History Responses of Adult Invasive (Bithynia tentaculata) and Native (Physa gyrina) Snails Exposed to a Cu-Based Pesticide (EarthTec® QZ). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 107, 833–837 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03340-2

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