Fate and effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos in outdoor plankton-dominated microcosms in Thailand

Abstract

The fate and effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos were studied in plankton-dominated, freshwater microcosms in Thailand. Disappearance rates of chlorpyrifos from the water column in the present study were similar to those in temperate regions. Insecticide accumulation in the sediment was relatively small, with the major part in the top layer (depth, 1.5 cm). Application of chlorpyrifos led to significant changes in freshwater biological communities. Clam shrimps (Conchostraca) and the cladoceran Moina micrura were the most susceptible species (no-observed-effect concentration [NOEC], 0.1 mu g/L) and macroinvertebrates the most sensitive community (NOEC, 0.1 mu g/L). These results are in agreement with those from semifield experiments with chlorpyrifos in temperate regions. The results of an in situ bioassay were used to calculate a NOEC of 0.1 mu g/L and a 48-h median lethal concentration of 0.6 mu g/L for M. micrura, which are similar to toxicity values reported for Daphnia magna in studies in temperate regions. Overall, these findings support the use of toxicity data from temperate regions for the risk assessment of low-persistent insecticides like chlorpyrifos for aquatic communities in tropical regions.