Published Paper Details:

The widespread application of fungicides in agriculture has resulted in their frequent detection in aquatic ecosystems, raising serious concerns regarding their impact on non-target aquatic organisms. The present investigation evaluates the acute toxicity of the triazole fungicide tebuconazole and its effects on behavioural responses in the freshwater fish Ctenopharyngodon idella. Acute toxicity bioassays were conducted under laboratory conditions for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h using a static renewal system. Mortality data were analysed using probit analysis to determine median lethal concentrations (LC??). The LC?? values of tebuconazole were found to be 24 mg/L (24 h), 23 mg/L (48 h), 22 mg/L (72 h) and 21 mg/L (96 h), indicating a clear time-dependent increase in toxicity. Behavioural alterations such as erratic swimming, increased opercular movement, surface gulping, loss of equilibrium and lethargy were observed in exposed fish, with severity increasing with concentration and exposure duration. The linear relationship observed in probit regression curves confirms the suitability of probit analysis for LC?? estimation. The findings demonstrate that tebuconazole poses a significant toxic risk to C. idella, even during short-term exposure, highlighting the need for regulated use of this fungicide to prevent ecological damage.