ECOTOXICOLOGY AND PESTICIDES IN TROPICAL AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS OF CENTRAL-AMERICA

Although pesticide use is high in the Central American region, few stu dies concerning environmental levels and effects of pesticides in aqua tic ecosystems have been conducted. In this review 18 studies were ide ntified, most of which deal exclusively with organochlorine residues, but other chemical groups also were studied and found in tropical aqua tic ecosystems. Only five studies considered effects of pesticides on aquatic organisms; four of these examined both the presence of pestici des in environmental substrates and field effects. Major research need s include studies on fate and degradation in tropical conditions; acut e and chronic toxicity to native species; effects of temperature, humi dity, and other characteristics of tropical conditions on toxicity, as well as effects of pesticides on tropical ecosystems.