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LEIF L. MARKING
Fish Control Laboratory
P.O. Box 862
La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
The toxicity of natural pyrethrins and five pyrethroids was determined with coho
salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri), fathead minnow
(Pimephales promelas), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), bluegill (Lepomis raac-
rochirus), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). The 96-hour LCs0's in static tests at
12~ ranged from 24.6 to 114/zg/1 of natural pyrethrins and from 0.110 to 1,140/zg/1
of pyrethroids. Two pyrethroids, RU-11679 and SBP-1382 (a), were over 10 times
more toxic than pyrethrum extract in the flow-through tests. Coldwater species of fish
were more sensitive than warmwater species to all the compounds. Temperature
(12-22~ influences the toxicity of natural pyrethrin and the pyrethroids. The natural
pyrethrin was more toxic to fish in pH 6.5 than in pH 9.5 water, but the toxicity of
pyrethroids was not influenced in that pH range. The two most toxic pyrethroids,
RU-11679 and SBP-1382, were deactivated more rapidly in water solutions than
natural pyrethrins, S-bioallethrin, dimethrin, and d-trans allethrin.
Natural pyrethrins have been used for controlling insects for many years but were
largely replaced by organochlorine pesticides during World War II. Recently, due to
the persistence of these pesticides in the environment, pyrethrins are regaining
importance for insect control (Bogaard 1969). Structures similar to the naturally
occurring pyrethrins have been synthesized (Casida 1973), and these pyrethroids
have proved to be more toxic to insects, more stable, more species specific, and less
hazardous to mammals than natural pyrethrins (Abernathy and Casida 1973,
Nishizawa 1971). Bioresmethrin is more toxic to houseflies than to rats by a factor
of 32,000 (Elliott 1970). The apparent greater sensitivity of insects is due to
structural configurations of some pyrethroids and the lack of certain metabolic
capabilities of insects (Casida et al. 1971, Miyamato et al. 1971, and Yamamoto et
al. 1971). The mode of action of pyrethroids has been identified as that of a
neuropoison acting on the nerve axon (Narahashi 1971, Yamamoto 1970).
thin films on glass, and decomposition yielded at least 11 products for each structure
(Chen and Casida 1969).
Although natural pyrethrins degraded rapidly in aquatic systems, they are highly
toxic to aquatic organisms. Stoneflies (Pteronarcys californica) are more sensitive
to natural pyrethrins than are three species of freshwater fishes (Bridges and Cope
1965). The pyrethroids, in addition to being more toxic than natural pyrethrins to
insects, are also more toxic to fish. If pyrethroids are dispensed in large-scale
applications as forest or agriculatural insecticides, they may be hazardous to fish.
The objective of this study was to determine and compare the toxicity of natural
pyrethrins and five selected pyrethroids to fish under various environmental condi-
tions of water temperature, hardness, and pH. Additionally, the detoxification rate
for these chemicals in water was determined by fish bioassay.
tReference to trade names does not imply government endorsement of commercial products.
20 W . L . Mauck et al.
Prior to each static and flow-through test fresh stock solutions of toxicant were
prepared in commercial grade acetone. Static tests were conducted according to the
methods described by Lennon and Walker (1964). Appropriate portions of these
solutions were than pipetted into glass jars containing 15 L of water. Flow-through
tests were conducted in a system described by Mount and Brungs (1967), equipped
with a modified metering device (McAllister et al. 1972). Food was witheld during
the 96-hr period to facilitate comparison of 96-hr LCs0's for static and flow-through
tests. Fish in flow-through tests were offered commercial pellets at a rate of 2% of
body weight per day beginning on day 5.
Total
Water type pH range Hardness b Alkalinity b
Deactivation tests were conducted in soft water at various pH's to obtain data on
the persistence of the natural extract and pyrethroids. A deactivation index was
obtained by dividing the 96-hr LCso of the aged (one week) series by the 96-hr LC~o
of the fresh or reference series (Marking 1972). If the index is approximately one,
the aged solution is as toxic as the fresh solution. If the index is greater than one the
solution has deactivated, and if the index is less than one the solution has increased
in activity.
The method o f Litchfield and Wilcoxon (1949) was used to determine the statisti-
cal LCso (concentration producing 50% mortality) and 95% confidence limits.
Time-independent concentrations (TILCso's) were determined by a modification of
Green's (1965) method. The TILCs0 is an estimate of the concentration at which
50% of the animals exposed would survive indefinitely. Toxicity was calculated for
the formulations rather than for the active ingredients. The percent active ingredient
in the formulations is shown in the tables that follow.
Results
All species of fish treated had different susceptibilities to natural pyrethrins and
pyrethroids. The salmonids were the most sensitive, and fathead minnow and
channel catfish were the most resistant (Table II). Two of the pyrethroids were
particularly toxic to all species: 96-hr LCso'S ranged from 0.110 to 0.635 /~g/L for
RU-11679 and from 0.450 to 2.62 ~g/L for SBP-1382. The natural extract was the
least toxic on the basis of formulation, andd-trans allethrin was least toxic on the
basis of active ingredient.
Temperature affected the biological activity of all the compounds tested. Pyret-
hrum extract, dimethrin, RU-11679, and SBP-1382 were significantly (P = 0.05)
more toxic at 12~ than at 17~ (Table III). Also, dirnethrin and SBP-1382 were
more toxic at 17~ than at 22~ but the toxicity of the natural pyrethrins and
RU-I1679 was not influenced in this temperature range. The biological activity of
dimethrin, RU-11679, and SBP-1382 was two to three times greater at 12~ than at
22~ However, d-trans allethrin and S-bioallethrin were less toxic (although not
significantly) at 12~ than at 17~ The d-trans allethrin was more toxic at 22~
than at 17~ and was about one and a half times more toxic at 22~ than at 12~
Water hardness had little influence on the toxicity of the pyrethroids (Table III).
However, toxicity of the natural extract increased slightly as water hardness in-
creased; the 96-hr LCso decreased significantly from 62.0/.~g/L in very soft water to
46.5 /zg/L in very hard water.
a T o x i c i t y based o n total f o r m u l a t i o n
b l n s u f f i c i e n t data to c o m p u t e .
Table III. Toxicity a of Pyrethrum Extract and Five Pyrethroids to Bluegill (0.8 g) in Static
Toxicity Tests at Various Water Temperatures, Hardnesses, and pH's
Test Conditions 96-hr LC50 and 95% c o n f i d e n c e limits (#g/L) for
17 Soft 7.5 O
59.0 57.9 47.0 0.580 27.6 4.28
"U
5 0 . 6 - 68.8 4 4 . 4 - 75.5 4 0 . 0 - 55.2 0 . 4 6 0 - 0.731 24.5 - 31.1 3.59 - 5.10
a T o x i c i t y based o n total f o r m u l a t i o n .
b l n s u f f i c i e n t data to c o m p u t e . [,O
L,J
24 W. L. M a u c k et al.
Table IV. Toxidty a o/Pyrethrum Extract and Five Pyrethroids to Bluegill (0.8 g) in
Reference and Aged (1 Week) Solutions and the Deactivation
Indices at Various pH's at 12~
5 0.176 0.750
0.152-0.204 0.562-0.999
10 0.160 0.410
0.142-0.180 0.350-0.480
15 0.109 0.410
0.100-0.118 0.350 - 0.480
20 0.0930 0.305
0.0860- 0.100 0.248- 0.374
25 0.0890 0.305
0.0790-0.0990 0.248- 0.374
30 0.0690 0.305
0.0610- 0.0770 0.248- 0.374
35 0.0640 __c
0.0570-0.0720
The 96-hr toxicity of pyrethrum extract and pyrethroids was about two to four
times greater in flow-through tests than in static tests (Table II), which correlates
with the deactivation of these compounds in static aqueous solutions. Also, larger
coho salmon and channel catfish were less sensitive than smaller ones to RU-11679.
Discussion
The pyrethroids RU-11679 and SBP-1382 were significantly more toxic than the
other pyrethroids or pyrethrum extract to fish. RU-11679 was found to be 4 to 10
times more toxic than SBP-1382 against fish and about 65 times more active than
pyrethrum extract. Nishizawa (1971) stated that topical application of Resmethrin
(SBP-1382) demonstrated an even greater insecticidal activity than pyrethrum ex-
tract against the housefly, Musca domestica; the mosquito, Culex pipen; and the
cockroach, Blattela sp.
whereas d-trans allethrin was detoxified faster in alkaline (1.23) than in acid (0.71)
water. The deactivation rate of the other pyrethroids was influenced little by diffe-
rent pH's. Nishizawa (1971) showed the degradation of Resmethrin to be very slight
and the pyrethroid to be more stable than pyrethrum extract.
Because of their greater toxicity to fish, pyrethroids may pose a greater hazard to
aquatic life than pyrethrum extract. An aquatic ecosystem which has relatively cold
water and supports coldwater fish would be the most susceptible to pyrethroid
toxicity, although these compounds appear to be deactivated rapidly in water.
Conclusions
1. Pyrethrum extract and pyrethroids are highly toxic to fish; the order from most
toxic to least toxic based on active ingredient is RU-11679, SBP-1382, pyret-
hrum extract, S-bioallethrin, dimethrin, and d-trans allethrin.
2. All of the compounds are more toxic to salmonids than to warm water fishes
under the same test conditions.
3. Pyrethrum extract and four of the pyrethroids were more toxic in cold (12~
than in warm (22~ water, whereas d-trans allethrin was more toxic in warm
than in cold water.
4. Pyrethrum extract was more toxic to fish in low pH (6.5) than in high pH (9.5)
water; the toxicity of pyrethroids was not influenced by pH in the range of 6.5
to 9.5.
5. The two most toxic pyrethroids, RU-11679 and SBP-1382, were deactivated
more rapidly than pyrethrum extract and other pyrethroids.
6. In general, the toxicity of dimethrin and d-trans allethrin was least influenced
by temperature, water hardness, and pH.
7. The time-independent LCso's for RU-I1679 were 0.0293 /zg/L against coho
salmon and 0.194 /zg/L against channel catfish; these values are about one-
fifth of the five-day LC50.
References