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Effects of exposure to carbofuran‐sprayed vegetation on the behavior, cholinesterase activity and growth of mallard ducklings (anas platyrhynchos)
Author(s) -
Martin Pamela A.,
Solomon Keith R.,
Forsyth Douglas J.,
Boermans Herman J.,
Westcott Neil D.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620100706
Subject(s) - carbofuran , anas , cholinesterase , zoology , toxicology , biology , pesticide , chemistry , endocrinology , ecology
Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) ducklings were led for distances of 50, 150 and 300 m through plots of upland vegetation that had been sprayed with a flowable formulation of carbofuran at rates of 0, 132 and 264 g active ingredient/ha. Duckling behavior was observed and quantified immediately after exposure by using an approach‐response apparatus. Brain and plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activities were determined for a subsample of ducklings from each treatment group; the remaining ducklings were monitored for growth effects. No mortality occurred during field exposure, but toxic signs were observed in ducklings moving < 150 m at both spray rates. At > 150 m, 17 and 100% of the ducklings had difficulty keeping pace due to anti‐ChE toxicosis in the low and high spray plots, respectively. Duckling approach‐response behavior became significantly slower with increasing spray rate and exposure distance ( p = 0.0001). Inhibition of brain ChE activity was directly related to both spray rate and exposure distance; ducklings receiving maximum carbofuran exposure had 29% of the mean ChE activities of controls. Plasma ChE activity was inversely related to spray rate but was not affected by exposure distance and did not correlate well with brain ChE activity ( R 2 = 0.36). Subsequent growth rates were not affected in a dose‐related manner.