Influence of container adsorption upon observed pyrethroid toxicity to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca

Abstract

Pyrethroid insecticides are known for their potential toxicity to aquatic invertebrates and many fish species. A significant problem in the study of pyrethroid toxicity is their extreme hydrophobicity. They can adsorb to test container surfaces and many studies, therefore, report pyrethroid levels as nominal water concentrations. In this study, pyrethroid adsorption to sampling and test containers was measured and several container treatments were examined for their ability to decrease pyrethroid adsorption. None of the chemical treatments were successful at preventing pyrethroid loss from aqueous samples, but vortexing of containers served to resuspend pyrethroids. The effects of the observed adsorption on Ceriodaphnia dubia and Hyalella azteca permethrin toxicity were examined. Species-specific results showed a time-dependent decrease in toxicity following pyrethroid adsorption to test containers for C. dubia, but not for H. azteca. These results demonstrate that pyrethroid adsorption to containers can significantly affect the observed outcome in toxicity-testing and serves as a caution for researchers and testing laboratories.

Joint toxicity of a pyrethroid insecticide, cypermethrin, and a heavy metal, lead, to the benthic invertebrate Chironomus dilutus

“…Joint toxicity of cypermethrin and Pb 2þ was expressed using lethal concentrations (LC25, LC50, and LC75 [95% confidence intervals]) that take into account solvent control mortality a Exposure scenarios and measured Pb 2þ concentrations in both sediment and wateronly testing. Adsorption of hydrophobic chemicals to test container surfaces has been previously noted [20]. Wheelock et al [20] reported a greater than 50% loss of pyrethroids because of binding to glassware, and this substantially reduced pyrethroid toxicity.…”

“…Adsorption of hydrophobic chemicals to test container surfaces has been previously noted [20]. Wheelock et al [20] reported a greater than 50% loss of pyrethroids because of binding to glassware, and this substantially reduced pyrethroid toxicity. Thus, measured chemical concentrations were used in the present study, and quality control measures showed good recoveries for matrix spikes and surrogates (see Supplemental Data).…”

“…After adding the contaminants into the reconstituted water, the water was thoroughly mixed for 2 h, stored overnight, and distributed into the testing chambers. Before adding the organisms, the dosed water was held in the chambers for 24 h to ensure that equilibrium was reached between the dissolved chemicals in the water and those binding to the glassware [20].…”

A refined aquatic ecological risk assessment for a pyrethroid insecticide used for adult mosquito management

“…Yang et al [19] found that pyrethroids adsorbed on suspended sediment or dissolved organic matter were completely unavailable for uptake by D. galeata mendotae after a 24-h exposure period. Therefore, because of the physicochemical properties and the use of the 96-h LC50 values for permethrin, the estimated species sensitivity distribution most likely overestimates the toxicity in the environment [17][18][19][20][21]48,55].…”

Does cadmium affect the toxicokinetics of permethrin in Chironomus dilutus at sublethal level? Evidence of enzymatic activity and gene expression

“…This suggested that permethrin concentrations in water were not greatly changed during the uptake phase and the loss of permethrin mainly occurred before initiating the exposure. Adsorption of pyrethroids to glass container was reported to be exceedingly high up to 50% within 24 h (Wheelock et al, 2005), and it largely explained the difference between measured and nominal concentrations of permethrin in water.…”