Ant cuticular response to phthalate pollution
2014
Lenoir, Alain | Axel, Touchard | Devers, Séverine | Christidès, Jean-Philippe | Boulay, Raphaël | Cuvillier-Hot, Virginie | Institut de recherche sur la biologie de l'insecte (IRBI) ; Université de Tours (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Ecologie des forêts de Guyane (ECOFOG) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG)-AgroParisTech-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Génétique et évolution des populations végétales (GEPV) ; Université de Lille, Sciences et Technologies-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
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Show more [+] Less [-]English. Phthalates are common atmospheric contaminantsused in the plastic industry. Ants have been shown to constitutegood bioindicators of phthalate pollution. Hence,phthalates remain trapped on ant cuticles which are mostlycoated with long-chain hydrocarbons. In this study, we artificiallycontaminated Lasius niger ants with four phthalates:dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and benzyl butyl phthalate(BBP). The first three have previously been found on ants innature in Touraine (France), while the fourth has not. The fourphthalates disappeared rapidly (less than 5 days) from thecuticles of live ants. In contrast, on the cuticles of dead ants,DEHP quantities remained unchanged over time. These resultsindicate that phthalates are actively absorbed by thecuticles of live ants. Cuticular absorption of phthalates isnonspecific because eicosane, a nonnatural hydrocarbon onL. niger cuticle, was similarly absorbed. Ants are importantecological engineers and may serve as bioindicators of ecosystemhealth. We also suggest that ants and more generallyterrestrial arthropods may contribute to the removal ofphthalates from the local environment
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