Nontarget testing of microbial pest control agents using larvae of the coot clam Mulinia lateralis

Abstract

A short-term (48 h ) chemical toxlcity test using larvae of the coot clam A4ulinia lateralis was modified to evaluate potential toxlcity and pathogenicity of microblal pest control agents. M. lateralls larvae, at the straight-hinged stage of developn~ent, were exposed to varlous microbial pest control agents including a mosquito larvac~de. Bacillus thur~ngiensis var israelensis (Bti); a mol1usc1-cidal strain of Bacillus alvei; a viral pathogen of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar nuclear polyhedrosis virus (LdNPV); and a broad host-range fungal insect pathogen, Metarhizium anisopliae. Mortalities significantly h~g h e r than heat-killed controls were obtained w~t h Bti at a 10-4 dilution of a colnlnei-cial preparatlon, and w~t h LdNPV at an occlus~on body d e n s~t y of 1 X 10%1-' Sodlum dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the ivater-soluble fraction of No. 2 fuel 011 ( W S r ) were also tested to provide a measure of comparison, sensitlv~ty and precision. SDS, toxic at an LC,, of 6.3 m g 1-', had a mean coefficient of variation of 23'X). The clam larval tox~city test was very sensitive to WSF,,,,, exposures resulted In an LC.,,, of <10% V/\! Because of its preclslon, sensitivity and simplicity, the M. lateralis larval test has the potential to be useful for assessing adverse effects that microblal pest control agents may have on nontarget bivalves KEY WORDS: B~o l o g~c a l control Nontarget effects . Mullnja lateralis

Effects of Metals and Organic Contaminants on the Recovery of Bioluminescence in the Marine Dinoflagellate Pyrocystis Lunula (Dinophyceae)1

“…SDS is an anionic detergent, known to disrupt membrane integrity (Gould et al 2000, Klocking et al 1994), and is, like cadmium, copper, and lead, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‐approved reference contaminant (Klemm et al 1994). The 4‐h IC 50 concentration of SDS needed to inhibit the recovery of bioluminescence in P. lunula by 50% fits well with other reported sensitivities and variability in various organisms (Bierkens et al 1998, Gormly et al 1996, Gulec et al 1997, Hooten and Carr 1998, Kraus et al 1998, Langdon et al 1996, Lussier et al 1999, Nalecz‐Jawecki et al 1997, Villegas‐Navarro et al 1999). Phenanthrene has been used as a model substance to study the biological degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by marine microorganisms (Cullen et al 1994, Cuny et al 1999, Hayes et al 1999).…”

Effects of Metals and Organic Contaminants on the Recovery of Bioluminescence in the Marine Dinoflagellate Pyrocystis Lunula (Dinophyceae)1

“…SDS is an anionic detergent, known to disrupt membrane integrity (Gould et al 2000, Klocking et al 1994, and is, like cadmium, copper, and lead, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved reference contaminant (Klemm et al 1994). The 4-h IC 50 concentration of SDS needed to inhibit the recovery of bioluminescence in P. lunula by 50% fits well with other reported sensitivities and variability in various organisms (Bierkens et al 1998, Gormly et al 1996. Effect of organic contaminants on the morphology of Pyrocystis lunula after 4-h exposure and after 72 h of recovery in uncontaminated medium.…”