DOI: 10.5061/dryad.k3j9kd5mz
title: Data from: What is there to gain and lose from plant-derived nano-enabled pesticides: Eugenol-loaded nanocarriers exert long-lived effects on non-target freshwater invertebrate communities

description: Nanocarriers are attracting growing interest as transport and delivery
 systems for agrochemicals. Non-target effects associated with their use
 have however remained characterized to only a limited extent. The current
 study comprised a long-term impact assessment of eugenol-loaded clay
 nanocarriers on naturally established communities of freshwater
 macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, and emerging insects. Assessments took
 place in outdoor mesocosms to which eugenol was applied at nominal
 concentrations of 20 and 200 μg L-1, and effects from the
 nanocarrier-based formulation were evaluated at concentrations equivalent
 to those from its active substance. Both concentrations of eugenol
 adversely affected turnover, replacement, and emergence rates across
 various taxa, and effects were most pronounced and long-lived when eugenol
 was applied via the nanocarrier-based formulation. Effects on zooplankton
 communities and insect emergence rates persisted throughout the 49-day
 experimental period, while effects on macroinvertebrate communities were
 limited to the first 7 days following treatment application. The presented
 datasets comprise (1), in vitro and in situ characterization and
 fate data from eugenol and eugenol-loaded sepiolite nanocarriers, (2)
 community composition data from macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, and
 emerging insects, and (3) water chemistry data. 
   
description: Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.k3j9kd5mz](10.5061/dryad.k3j9kd5mz)
 Publication
 DOI: [10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139560](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139560 "Persistent link using digital object identifier") ## Contact information corresponding author **Name**: Tom A.P. Nederstigt **Institute**: Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, The Netherlands **Email**: [t.a.p.nederstigt@cml.leidenuniv.nl](mailto:t.a.p.nederstigt@cml.leidenuniv.nl) ## Dataset overview The presented datasets comprise (1), *in vitro* and *in situ* characterization and fate data of eugenol and eugenol-loaded sepiolite nanocarriers, (2) community composition data from macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, and emerging insects, and (3) water chemistry data. For additional information regarding data collection, processing, and analyses, we refer to the accompanying publication.     ## Description of the data and file structure #### 1. *In vitro* and *in situ* characterization and fate data of eugenol and eugenol-loaded sepiolite nanocarriers ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_DLS_Size.csv* **Description:** Raw data records of DLS measurements for hydrodynamic sizes, PDIs and count rates of eugenol-loaded sepiolite nanocarriers. ##### Variables * Concentration_ug_L: Concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Time: Time post-suspension preparation (hours) at which sample was collected * Z_avg: Hydrodynamic size (nm) * PDI: Polydispersity index * Count_mean: Mean count rate (kcps) * Count_der: Derived count rate (kcps) ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_DLS_Zeta.csv* **Description:** Raw data records of DLS measurements for zeta potential of eugenol-loaded sepiolite nanocarriers. ##### Variables * Concentration_ug_L: Concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Time: Time post-suspension preparation (hours) at which sample was collected * Zeta_mV: Zeta potential (mV)  ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_TEM.csv* **Description:** Raw data records of measurements of bare and eugenol-loaded sepiolite nanocarriers from TEM micrographs. ##### Variables * Sepiolite: Specifies whether measurements are from eugenol-loaded ("loaded") or bare ("bare") sepiolite nanocarriers * Image: Specifies image from which measurements were collected * Particle: Specifies particle from which measurements were collected * Length_nm: Length in nm * Width_nm: Width in nm * Ratio: Ratio of length to width ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_Eugenol.csv* **Description:** Raw eugenol concentrations (measured as freely dissolved active substance) per mesocosm and sample. ##### Variables * Mesocosm: Number (identifier) of mesocosm from which the sample was collected * Time: Time post-treatment application (hours) at which sample was collected * Analytical_replicate: Analytical replicate. Samples were measured in duplicate * Nominal_concentration_ug_L: Nominal treatment concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Sepiolite: Specification of whether eugenol was applied as freely dissolved active substance ("No") or via the nanocarrier-based formulation ("Yes") * Measured_concentration_ug_L: Measured concentration of eugenol in µg/L * LoD_ug_L: Limit of Detection in µg/L, calculated as 3.3σ/S (σ = standard deviation from six matrix control replicates, S = slope of the calibration curve) * LoQ_ug_L: Limit of Quantification in µg/L, calculated as 10σ/S (σ = standard deviation from six matrix control replicates, S = slope of the calibration curve) ### 2. Community composition data from macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, and emerging insects ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_Macroinvertebrates.csv* **Description:** Raw numbers of specimens per taxon from macroinvertebrate samples (sample volume of approximately 140 L). ##### Variables * Mesocosm: Number (identifier) of mesocosm from which the sample was collected * Time: Time post-treatment application (days) at which sample was collected * Nominal_concentration_ug_L: Nominal treatment concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Sepiolite: Specification of whether eugenol was applied as freely dissolved active substance ("No") or via the nanocarrier-based formulation ("Yes") ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_Zooplankton.csv* **Description:** Raw numbers of specimens per taxon from zooplankton samples (back-transformed to number/L). ##### Variables * Mesocosm: Number (identifier) of mesocosm from which the sample was collected * Time: Time post-treatment application (days) at which sample was collected * Nominal_concentration_ug_L: Nominal treatment concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Sepiolite: Specification of whether eugenol was applied as freely dissolved active substance ("No") or via the nanocarrier-based formulation ("Yes") ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_Emerging_Insects_Taxa.csv* **Description:** Raw (i.e., non-cumulative) numbers of specimens per taxon and sample retrieved from emergence traps. ##### Variables * Mesocosm: Number (identifier) of mesocosm from which the sample was collected * Time: Time post-treatment application (days) at which sample was collected * Nominal_concentration_ug_L: Nominal treatment concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Sepiolite: Specification of whether eugenol was applied as freely dissolved active substance ("No") or via the nanocarrier-based formulation ("Yes") ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_Emerging_Insects_Groups.csv* **Description:** Raw (i.e., non-cumulative) numbers of specimens per group and sample retrieved from emergence traps. ##### Variables * Mesocosm: Number (identifier) of mesocosm from which the sample was collected * Time: Time post-treatment application (days) at which sample was collected * Nominal_concentration_ug_L: Nominal treatment concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Sepiolite: Specification of whether eugenol was applied as freely dissolved active substance ("No") or via the nanocarrier-based formulation ("Yes") ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_Emerging_Insects_Biomass.csv* **Description:**  Raw (i.e., non-cumulative) biomass per group and sample retrieved from emergence traps. ##### Variables * Mesocosm: Number (identifier) of mesocosm from which the sample was collected * Time: Time post-treatment application (days) at which sample was collected * Nominal_concentration_ug_L: Nominal treatment concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Sepiolite: Specification of whether eugenol was applied as freely dissolved active substance ("No") or via the nanocarrier-based formulation ("Yes") ### 3. Water chemistry data ##### File: *Nederstigt_et_al.2025_JHM_Water_Chemistry.csv* **Description:** Raw data records of water temperature (ºC), pH, conductivity (EC - µS/cm), O2 (mg/L), Turbidity (NTU) and Chlorophyll A (NFU). ##### Variables * Mesocosm: Number (identifier) of mesocosm from which the sample was collected * Time: Time post-treatment application (days) at which sample was collected * Nominal_concentration_ug_L: Nominal treatment concentration of eugenol in µg/L * Sepiolite: Specification of whether eugenol was applied as freely dissolved active substance ("No") or via the nanocarrier-based formulation ("Yes")