Neonicotinoids, a widely used class of insecticide, have been found in surface waters globally. They pose a risk to non-target species found in aquatic environments such as aquatic macroinvertebrates. To better understand the effects of the neonicotinoids imidacloprid, clothianidin and their mixtures on aquatic communities we ran a 30 day mesocosm test. Rock trays were colonized with natural benthic communities in the Cache La Poudre River, located in the mountains of Northern Colorado, and relocated to a laboratory experimental stream setting. In total there were 33 experimental streams: 3 controls and 30 treatments consisting of both single compound and binary compound exposures with 5 treatment levels for each exposure series. Water quality and chemistry samples were collected throughout the experiment. Larval invertebrates remaining in each experimental stream at the end of the experiment were collected, enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic unit practical, typically genus or species. Emergent insects were collected each day of the experiment and identified to lowest taxonomic unit. Chlorophyll a was measured in each experimental stream 3 times throughout the 30 day experiment.

To better understand the transport of neonicotinoid insecticides into the Great Lakes, monthly samples (October 2015-September 2016) were collected from 10 tributaries to the Great Lakes, USA. At least one neonicotinoid was detected in 74% of the monthly samples with up to three neonicotinoids detected in an individual sample (10% of all samples). The most frequently detected neonicotinoid was imidacloprid (53%) followed by clothianidin (44%), thiamethoxam (22%), acetamiprid (2%), and dinotefuran (1%). Thiacloprid was not detected in any samples. More spatially intensive samples from were collected in an agriculturally dominated area (Maumee River, Ohio) twice during spring 2016. Three neonicotinoids were ubiquitously detected (clothiandin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam) in all water samples collected within this basin. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Hladik, M., S. Corsi, D. Kolpin, A. Baldwin, B. Blackwell, and J. Cavallin. Year-round presence of neonicotinoid insecticides in tributaries to the Great Lakes, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 235: 102-1029, (2018).

To better understand the transport of neonicotinoid insecticides into the Great Lakes, monthly samples (October 2015-September 2016) were collected from 10 tributaries to the Great Lakes, USA. At least one neonicotinoid was detected in 74% of the monthly samples with up to three neonicotinoids detected in an individual sample (10% of all samples). The most frequently detected neonicotinoid was imidacloprid (53%) followed by clothianidin (44%), thiamethoxam (22%), acetamiprid (2%), and dinotefuran (1%). Thiacloprid was not detected in any samples. More spatially intensive samples from were collected in an agriculturally dominated area (Maumee River, Ohio) twice during spring 2016. Three neonicotinoids were ubiquitously detected (clothiandin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam) in all water samples collected within this basin. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Hladik, M., S. Corsi, D. Kolpin, A. Baldwin, B. Blackwell, and J. Cavallin. Year-round presence of neonicotinoid insecticides in tributaries to the Great Lakes, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 235: 102-1029, (2018).

The phenylpyrazole insecticide fipronil and its degradates are a potential surface-water contaminant and toxicant to nontarget species such as aquatic macroinvertebrates. To better understand how fipronil, fipronil sulfide, fipronil sulfone, desulfinyl fipronil, and fipronil amide affect aquatic communities, a 30-day mesocosm experiment was run. Rock trays were colonized with natural benthic communities in the Cache La Poudre River in the mountains of northern Colorado and transplanted into a laboratory experimental stream setting. In total, there were 36 experimental streams: 3 controls, 3 solvent controls, and 30 treatments. Water quality metrics and samples for pesticide analysis were collected throughout the experiment. At the end of the experiment, larval invertebrates remaining in each experimental stream were collected, enumerated, and identified. Emergent insects were collected each day of the experiment and identified to lowest taxonomic unit. These data were used to derive species-specific effect concentrations and, along with published data, derive species sensitivity distributions for fipronil(s) and hazard concentrations for the 5th percentile of affected species (HC5). The resulting HC5 values were used to convert fipronil compound concentrations in field samples to the sum of toxic units (∑TUFipronils), and the field invertebrate data were converted into a Species at Risk (SPEAR) pesticides metric (SPEAR_pesticide) and used to explore the relationship between the invertebrate community and ∑TUFipronils.

The phenylpyrazole insecticide fipronil and its degradates are a potential surface-water contaminant and toxicant to nontarget species such as aquatic macroinvertebrates. To better understand how fipronil, fipronil sulfide, fipronil sulfone, desulfinyl fipronil, and fipronil amide affect aquatic communities, a 30-day mesocosm experiment was run. Rock trays were colonized with natural benthic communities in the Cache La Poudre River in the mountains of northern Colorado and transplanted into a laboratory experimental stream setting. In total, there were 36 experimental streams: 3 controls, 3 solvent controls, and 30 treatments. Water quality metrics and samples for pesticide analysis were collected throughout the experiment. At the end of the experiment, larval invertebrates remaining in each experimental stream were collected, enumerated, and identified. Emergent insects were collected each day of the experiment and identified to lowest taxonomic unit. These data were used to derive species-specific effect concentrations and, along with published data, derive species sensitivity distributions for fipronil(s) and hazard concentrations for the 5th percentile of affected species (HC5). The resulting HC5 values were used to convert fipronil compound concentrations in field samples to the sum of toxic units (∑TUFipronils), and the field invertebrate data were converted into a Species at Risk (SPEAR) pesticides metric (SPEAR_pesticide) and used to explore the relationship between the invertebrate community and ∑TUFipronils.

To investigate the effects of imidacloprid on natural stream communities under controlled conditions, experimental streams were dosed with imidacloprid at concentrations ranging from 0.061 to 220 micrograms per liter (micrograms/L) for a period of 10 days. Natural stream macroinvertebrate communities were obtained from the Cache La Poudre River (Larimer County, CO) by colonizing trays full of large gravel for 75 days. The trays were added to laboratory experimental streams (mesocosms) at the USGS Fort Collins Science Center in Fort Collins, CO. At the end of 10 days, invertebrate abundance metrics were analyzed in relation to measured imidacloprid concentrations in water from the experimental streams. Declines in total abundance and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Tricoptera taxa abundance were observed in the mesocosm communities at concentrations of 1 micrograms/L and above, and one sensitive species, Baetis tricaudatus, was affected at concentrations as low as 0.060 micrograms/L.

To investigate the effects of imidacloprid on natural stream communities under controlled conditions, experimental streams were dosed with imidacloprid at concentrations ranging from 0.061 to 220 micrograms per liter (µg/L) for a period of 10 days. Natural stream macroinvertebrate communities were obtained from the Cache La Poudre River (Larimer County, CO) by colonizing trays full of large gravel for 75 days. The trays were added to laboratory experimental streams (mesocosms) at the USGS Fort Collins Science Center in Fort Collins, CO. At the end of 10 days, invertebrate abundance metrics were analyzed in relation to measured imidacloprid concentrations in water from the experimental streams. Declines in total abundance and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Tricoptera taxa abundance were observed in the mesocosm communities at concentrations of 1 µg/L and above, and one sensitive species, Baetis tricaudatus, was affected at concentrations as low as 0.060 µg/L.

Data files for "Oliver, S.K., Corsi, S.R., Baldwin, A.K., Nott, M.A., Ankley, G.T., Blackwell, B.R., Villeneuve, D.L., Hladik, M.L., Kolpin, D.W., Loken, L., DeCicco, L.A., Meyer, M.T. and Loftin, K.A. (2023), Pesticide Prioritization by Potential Biological Effects in Tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Environ Toxicol Chem, 42: 367-384. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5522". This dataset is associated with the following publication: Oliver, S., S. Corsi, A. Baldwin, M. Nott, G. Ankley, B. Blackwell, D. Villeneuve, M. Hladik, D. Kolpin, L. Loken, L. DeCicco, M. Meyer, and K. Loftin. Pesticide Prioritization by Potential Biological Effects in Tributaries of the Laurentian Great Lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, USA, 42(2): 367-384, (2023).