Systemic toxicity of thiamethoxam in the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain): Oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and growth retardation.

Thiamethoxam causes dose-dependent oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and growth retardation in the mud crab Scylla paramamosain, with significant effects at 880 µg/L.

• Why it matters: Understanding the toxicity of widely used insecticides like TMX on non-target crustaceans is crucial for ecological risk assessment and environmental protection.
• What they did: The study conducted acute and sublethal toxicity tests, measuring tissue accumulation, enzyme activity, oxidative stress markers, neurobehavioral changes, and growth parameters across different TMX concentrations.
• The result: Findings show that while low environmental levels pose minimal risk, higher concentrations lead to oxidative damage, neurobehavioral impairments, and reduced growth, highlighting potential ecological threats at elevated exposure levels.