Comparative toxicity of Chlorothalonil: Ceriodaphnia dubia and Pimephales promelas

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2003-11, Vol.56 (3), p.327-333
• Main Authors: Sherrard, R.M, Murray-Gulde, C.L, Rodgers, J.H, Shah, Y.T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorothalonil; Cladocera; Comparative toxicity; Cyprinidae; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on protozoa and invertebrates; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungicides, Industrial - toxicity; Lethal Dose 50; Nitriles - toxicity; Potency; Risk Assessment; Species’ sensitivities; Techniques; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/S0147-6513(02)00073-8

Chlorothalonil is a commonly used fungicide in rural and urban environments and can be incidentally introduced into aquatic systems through rainfall runoff or direct overspray and drift from aerial applications. Few studies have been published regarding risks to aquatic organisms exposed to chlorothalonil, so this study was performed to provide a first-order risk characterization for receiving system biota. Definitive laboratory toxicity tests were conducted with aqueous solutions of chlorothalonil and sentinel aquatic organisms ( Ceriodaphnia dubia Richard and Pimephales promelas Rafinesque). P. promelas was more sensitive (7-day potency=6.1% mortality/μg/L) than C. dubia (7-day potency=0.94% mortality/μg/L) to chlorothalonil exposures. All mortality of P. promelas and C. dubia resulting from these chlorothalonil exposures occurred within the first 96 h and no sublethal effects (i.e., growth or reproduction) were detected under these experimental conditions following 7-day exposures.