Ecotoxicological assessment of ammonium glufosinate (Finale®) on Eisenia andrei (Bouché 1972)

Abstract

Amid rising pesticide use, particularly ammonium glufosinate, and the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds and glufosinate-tolerant transgenic crops, it is vital to understand the effects of herbicides on terrestrial ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of a commercial formulation of ammonium glufosinate (Finale®) on earthworms (Eisenia andrei), focusing on acute, avoidance, and chronic toxicity. The tests were conducted according to ISO standards (11268-1:1993; 11268-2:1998; 17512-1:2008). All trials adopted a completely randomized design (CRD), with six concentrations of the herbicide Finale® (acute: 0, 175, 340, 505, 670, and 835 mg ai kg^− 1; chronic and avoidance: 0.0, 3.3, 5.0, 6.7, 8.3, and 10.0 mg ai kg^− 1) and four replicates for acute and chronic tests, plus five replicates for the avoidance test. Results indicated significant impacts on the survival, biomass, reproduction, and avoidance behaviors of earthworms at certain concentrations. The LC₅₀-14d was established at 611.68 mg ai kg^− 1, indicating moderate toxicity of the herbicide. The EC₅₀ for reproduction effects at 56 days and for inducing escape within 48 hours were determined to be 4.49 mg ai kg^− 1 and 3.30 mg ai kg^− 1, respectively. Concentrations of 8.3 and 10 mg ai kg^− 1 induced the highest escape responses.