ACUTE TOXICITY TEST FOR TERRESTRIAL HAZARD ASSESSMENT WITH EXPOSURE OF FOLSOMIA-CANDIDA TO PESTICIDES IN AN AQUEOUS-MEDIUM

An acute toxicity test is described in which the springtail Folsomia c andida was exposed to pesticides in water during four days. The test m ethod was designed for the direct and economical chemical analysis of all concentrations during the execution of the test. The 96 h EC(50) v alues determined for parathion, carbofuran, dimethoate, and oxamyl wer e 0.0087, 0.222, 16.2, and 23.6 mg/L, respectively. The toxicity of th e pesticides was correlated with their lipophilicity. For terrestrial hazard assessment procedures, the use of the intrinsic toxicity of che micals to soil organisms, as determined in this simple test, is propos ed.