Acyclovir eco-geno-toxicity in freshwater organisms

This study explores the eco-geno-toxic impact of Acyclovir (ACV), a widely used antiviral drug, on various freshwater organisms, given its increasing detection in surface waters. The research focused on non-target organisms, including the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata , the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus , the cladoceran crustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia , and the benthic ostracod Heterocypris incongruens , exposed to ACV to assess both acute and chronic toxicity. The results indicate that while acute toxicity occurs at environmentally not -relevant concentrations, a significant chronic toxicity for C. dubia (EC 50 = 0.03 mu g/L, NOEC = 0.02 & sdot;10 - 2 mu g/L), highlighted substantial environmental concern. Furthermore, DNA strand breaks and reactive oxygen species detected in C. dubia indicate significant increase at concentrations exceeding 200 mu g/L. Regarding environmental risk, the authors identified chronic exposures to acyclovir causing inhibitory effects on reproduction in B. calyciflorus at hundreds of mu g/L and hundredths of mu g/L for C. dubia as environmentally relevant environmental concentrations. The study concludes by quantifying the toxic and genotoxic risks of ACV showing a chronic risk quotient higher than the critical value of 1and a genotoxic risk quotient reaching this threshold, highlighting the urgent need for a broader risk assessment of ACV for its significant implications for aquatic ecosystems.