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Toxicity of the Insecticide Dursban (R) to Fish and Aquatic Invertebrates in Ponds
Author(s) -
Macek Kenneth J.,
Walsh David F.,
Hogan James W.,
Holz Delmar D.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1972)101<420:totidr>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - micropterus , bass (fish) , biology , chlorpyrifos , dichlorvos , toxicology , fishery , zoology , population , pesticide , lepomis macrochirus , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , demography , sociology
Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepede) were exposed to two applications of Dursban (R) , an organophosphorus insecticide, at the recommended rates for mosquito control of 0.05 or 0.01 lb of active ingredient/A in experimental 0.1 acre ponds. Residues of Dursban in water 1 day after the applications ranged from 2.39 parts per billion (ppb) in the highest treatment to 0.97 ppb in the low treatment. Cumulative mortality in the untreated ponds during 63 days of observation was approximately 1% of the total population of each species of fish. Cumulative mortality of fishes during the same period in ponds treated at 0.01 lb/A was 3% for bluegills and 10% for bass, whereas the corresponding mortalities for the high application rate (0.05 lb/A) were 55% for bluegills and 46% for bass. Uptake of Dursban by fishes produced maximum residue values of 3.82 parts per million (ppm) in bluegills and 2.55 ppm in bass within 1 to 3 days after application of the insecticide at 0.05 lb/A. These residues decreased greatly within 2 weeks to less than 0.4 ppm and were undetectable after 4 weeks. Both species of fish taken from the ponds treated at 0.05 lb/A exhibited more than 80% inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase activity as compared to fish from untreated ponds; fishes from these ponds had not recovered normal acetylcholin‐esterase activity 28 days after application of the insecticide. Histological examination of tissues from bluegills and largemouth bass exposed to Dursban did not show conclusive evidence for pesticide‐induced pathology. The high treatment reduced the total number of insects colonizing plate samplers by three‐fourths, eliminated caddisflies, and severely reduced mayfly populations. We believe that the results of this investigation confirm the inadvisability, as suggested on product labels, of using Dursban at the current recommended rates of application for mosquito control in habitats where valuable fishery resources are to be protected.