Hasaballah Ahmed I, El-Ansary Ramy E, Zidan Mahmoud M, Al-Khalaf Areej A, Khalil Abdelwahab
Zoology and Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt.
Biology Department, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
Biology (Basel). 2025 Aug 5;14(8):1004. doi: 10.3390/biology14081004.
Heavy metal contamination in freshwater ecosystems poses persistent threats to aquatic organisms and public health. This study evaluates the transgenerational toxicity of cadmium chloride and copper sulfate on , focusing on development, reproduction, and midgut histopathology over two successive generations. Larval bioassays showed cadmium chloride to be more toxic than copper sulfate, with early instars exhibiting higher sensitivity (LC = 8.66 μg/L for Cd; 175.63 μg/L for Cu). Both metals significantly delayed larval and pupal development, reduced fecundity, and decreased egg hatchability in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathological examination revealed midgut epithelial degeneration, vacuolation, and brush border loss, with copper sulfate inducing more severe cytotoxicity. These findings confirm that sublethal, chronic metal exposure can impair physiological and reproductive traits across generations. Moreover, this study highlights the utility of mosquitoes as sensitive bioindicators of aquatic pollution, and underscores the long-term ecological implications of heavy metal contamination on vector dynamics and disease transmission.
淡水生态系统中的重金属污染对水生生物和公众健康构成持续威胁。本研究评估了氯化镉和硫酸铜对（此处原文缺失具体受试对象）的跨代毒性，重点关注连续两代的发育、繁殖和中肠组织病理学。幼虫生物测定表明，氯化镉比硫酸铜毒性更大，早期龄期表现出更高的敏感性（镉的LC = 8.66 μg/L；铜的LC = 175.63 μg/L）。两种金属均以剂量依赖的方式显著延迟幼虫和蛹的发育、降低繁殖力并降低卵孵化率。组织病理学检查显示中肠上皮变性、空泡化和刷状缘丧失，硫酸铜诱导更严重的细胞毒性。这些发现证实，亚致死性慢性金属暴露可跨代损害生理和生殖特征。此外，本研究强调了蚊子作为水生污染敏感生物指标的效用，并强调了重金属污染对病媒动态和疾病传播的长期生态影响。
