Acute toxicity tests with Cd, Pb, Hg, and methyl parathion were developed to compare the sensitivity of the rotifer Euchlanis dilatata with other model organisms used in aquatic ecotoxicology. Cd was the most toxic chemical (LC50 = 14.8 μg L(-1)), while methyl parathion was the least toxic (LC50 = 864.2 μg L(-1)). E. dilatata was more sensitive that other rotifer species, particularly of the genera Brachionus and Lecane. However, E. dilatata was less sensitive to mercury and methyl parathion than the crustacean, Daphnia magna. The high sensitivity of E. dilatata suggests that it may be an adequate benthic model to use in toxicity assessments of metal-contaminated sediments.

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The inhibitory effects on esterases and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the freshwater rotifer Euchlanis dilatata, native to Mexico, were assessed by fluorimetry after in vivo exposure (30 min) in laboratory conditions to sublethal concentrations of metals and pesticides. EC(50) values for esterases ranged from 7.9 × 10(-7) for DDT to 61.9 μg l(-1) for methyl parathion, while corresponding values for PLA2 ranged from 0.96 × 10(-6) for mercury to 69.2 μg l(-1) for lead. These enzyme systems in E. dilatata are very sensitive to the tested agents and suggest they would be suitable biomarkers. However, sensitivity to other environmental contaminants should be investigated in laboratory conditions and field studies to assess their potential as environmental biomarkers.

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