Data from: Pre-exposure to chemicals increases springtail vulnerability to high temperatures

Global climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat
waves, posing a significant threat to ectothermic organisms. Concurrently,
chemical pollution, including heavy metals and pesticides, remains a
pervasive environmental stressor. This study investigates the effects of
sublethal copper and fluazinam exposure on the thermal tolerance of the
soil-dwelling springtail, Folsomia candida. Using a Thermal Death Time
(TDT) framework, we assessed how pre-exposure to these toxicants at two
acclimation temperatures (20 °C and 24 °C) influenced survival under heat
stress. Our findings indicate that toxicant exposure reduced heat
tolerance at moderately high temperatures (32.5 °C) but had negligible
effects at extreme temperatures (37 °C). Acclimation at 24 °C mitigated
the negative effects of both toxicants, suggesting an enhanced capacity
for cellular homeostasis under warm conditions. Additionally, soil type
influenced thermal tolerance, highlighting the importance of environmental
context in multiple stressor interactions. These findings highlight the
need to integrate realistic thermal exposure scenarios in ecotoxicological
assessments to improve predictions of organismal vulnerability under
climate change.