Bisphenol A Acute Toxicity to the Macroinvertebrate Chironomus sancticaroli (Diptera, Chironomidae) and Sensitivity Analysis of the Species to BPA Analogs

Due to concerns about the potential health risks associated with bisphenol A (BPA), several alternatives have been developed. The most common BPA analogs include bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the tropical macroinvertebrate Chironomus sancticaroli to BPA by performing acute toxicity tests. In addition, species sensitivity distribution (SSD) curves were constructed to compare the sensitivity of C. sancticaroli to different taxonomic groups when exposed to BPA, as well as to evaluate the sensitivity of varying freshwater organisms exposed to BPF and BPS, addressing the SSD analysis. The Predicted No-Effect-Concentrations (PNECs) values of bisphenols were calculated. The average value of the 48-h EC50 of BPA based on the measured concentration for the first instar larva of C. sancticaroli was 6.71 mg L−1. The SSD curve of BPA demonstrated that C. sancticaroli presented an intermediate sensitivity to BPA when compared to two other chironomid species commonly used in toxicity tests. As demonstrated by PNECS values developed in the present study, the order of toxicity based on all species was BPA > BPF > BPS. This study highlights the need to expand data on the acute and chronic toxicity of BPA and its analogs for tropical freshwater biota to estimate potential effects of bisphenols.