C. Sabater et Jm. Carrasco, Effects of the organophosphorus insecticide fenitrothion on growth in fivefreshwater species of phytoplankton, ENVIRON TOX, 16(4), 2001, pp. 314-320
The acute toxicity of the insecticide fenitrothion was measured using four
freshwater algae (Chlorella saccharophila, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus
acutus, and Scenedesmus subspicatus) and one cyanobacteria (Pseudanabaena g
aleata). Insecticide concentrations eliciting 50% growth reduction over 96
hr (EC50) ranged from 0.84 to 11.9 mg/L. Fenitrothion was more toxic than o
ther pesticides studied with the same algal species such as chlorsulfuron,
molinate, and pyridaphenthion. The transformation of effective concentratio
ns of fenitrothion and other pesticides obtained from toxicity measurements
into percent of the saturation level in water is used as a first evaluatio
n of potential hazard to aquatic systems. The insecticides fenitrothion and
pyridaphenthion were less hazardous than the herbicides atrazine, benthioc
arb, cinosulfuron, chlorsulfuron, methyl-bensulfuron, and molinate. The two
species of Chlorella and the cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena were more tolera
nt to fenitrothion than the two species Of Scenedesmus. (C) 2001 by John Wi
ley & Sons, Inc.