RESEARCH ARTICLE Analysis of various effects of abamectin on erythrocyte morphology in Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) Denise Braga Gomes de Faria 1 & Mateus Flores Montalvão 1 & Joyce Moreira de Souza 1 & Bruna de Oliveira Mendes 1 & Guilherme Malafaia 1,2,3 & Aline Sueli de Lima Rodrigues 1 Received: 9 September 2017 /Accepted: 1 November 2017 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2017 Abstract Although previous studies have already confirmed the toxicological potential of abamectin (ABA) in different experimental models (from invertebrates to vertebrates), al- most nothing is known about the impacts the exposure to this pesticide can cause on birds. Thus, the aim of our study is to investigate the cytotoxic effects on the erythrocytes of female Japanese quails ( Coturnix japonica ) exposed to low abamectin concentrations. In order to do so, three experimen- tal groups were proposed: Bcontrol,^ composed of quails ex- posed to abamectin-free drinking water; BABA 1% median lethal dose (LD 50 ),^ comprising birds exposed to water con- taining 15.5 mg a.i./L of abamectin (via commercial formula- tion Kraft® 36EC), and BABA 10% LD 50 ,^ composed by birds exposed to water containing 155.0 mg a.i./L of abamectin. The micronucleus test and the tests applied to other nuclear abnormalities in the peripheral blood of birds were conducted 40 days after exposure. Our study revealed significant physical abnormalities in nuclear shapes (erythro- cytes with asymmetric constriction nuclei, notched nuclei, in- dented and moved nucleus) of those birds exposed to higher abamectin levels. When all nuclear abnormalities were tallied, a significant dose-dependent trend was noted. Therefore, our study presents initial imprints on determination of abamectin- mediated cellular toxicity in avifauna which can be instrumen- tal in checking polluted ecosystems. Keywords Birds . Pesticide . Erythrocyte morphology . Aquatic pollution Introduction It is known that the broad use of pesticides in agricultural production processes have been harming and causing changes in the environment, either through the combination of biotic communities that compose them or through the accumulation of chemical components potentially toxic to ecosystem abiotic segments (Carvalho 2017). The concern about the possible effects of agrochemicals on the biota is increasing, mainly when one takes into account that most of these products can reach non-target organisms. Runoff losses often happen, and concentrations can reach different ecosystems; such scenario exposes non-target organisms to the applied pesticides, although the routes that different pesticides take in the environment depend on their physical and chemical characteristics, as well as on the environment itself (Gavrilescu 2005). Besides, the application of pesti- cides close to riverbeds, as well as the inappropriate dis- charge of their packages, is relevant factors impairing the dissipation of these products in the environment. Abamectin is one of the largely used pesticides in different agricultural crops such as cotton, maize, potatoes, coffee, Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0677-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Guilherme Malafaia guilhermeifgoiano@gmail.com 1 Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Natural Resources in Cerrado, Goiano Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology – Urutaí Campus, Urutaí, GO, Brazil 2 Laboratório de Pesquisas Biológicas, Instituto Federal Goiano – Campus Urutaí, Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2.5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO 75790-000, Brazil 3 Rodovia Geraldo Silva Nascimento, 2.5 km, Zona Rural, Urutaí, GO CEP: 75790-000, Brazil Environ Sci Pollut Res https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0677-8