The Consequences and Challenges Associated with Amphibian Toxicology Regarding Pesticides

Abstract

Amphibian populations worldwide are experiencing a decline due to a combination of abiotic and biotic factors. Climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and disease outbreaks all contribute to this decline. Many amphibian species are listed as vulnerable or near extinct (43% of the species described nowadays) on the IUCN Red List. Anthropogenic contaminants, particularly pesticides, can be incredibly harmful to these populations. Pesticides can come from different sources, in particular from agriculture. Contamination of animals can occur through ingestion of contaminated feed, air, drift, secondary poisoning, spillage into local water bodies, contaminated plants and sediments, or groundwater contamination. Higher concentrations of pesticides in the environment can have acute toxic effects with high mortality rates, or long-term exposure can lead to reproductive abnormalities, infertility, and malformations. Several papers have implicated pesticides in the amphibian population decline. The primary objective of the research was to establish a link between the use of pesticides and the decline of amphibian populations, focusing on documented cases in the wild where these chemicals have been identified as the primary cause of mortality among these species and assessing their broader ecological impacts. Additionally, the study aimed to highlight the main challenges encountered in conducting ecotoxicological research on amphibians and to explore potential avenues for future research and mitigation efforts.