Comparison of the acute toxicity for gamma-cyhalothrin and lambda-cyhalothrin to zebra fish and shrimp.

Gamma-cyhalothrin 15CS (GCH) contains only the active stereoisomer of the two isomers found in lambda-cyhalothrin 25EW (LCH). GCH (0.5 x rate) provides equivalent overall insect control as LCH (1 x rate). Both formulations showed high acute toxicity to zebra fish (Brachydanio rerio H.B.) and shrimp (Macrobrachium nippoensis de Haan). The 96-h LC(50(zebra fish,GCH)) is 1.93 microg a.i/L and LC(50(zebra fish,LCH)) is 1.94 microg a.i/L. LC(50(shrimp,GCH)) is 0.28 microg a.i./L and LC(50(shrimp,LCH)) 0.04 microg a.i./L. This indicates that the toxicity to shrimp is likely stereochemistry-dependent. The fates of GCH and LCH are similar in laboratory simulated rice paddy water and their concentrations decrease rapidly, with no GCH or LCH detected after 3 or 4 days. Both are toxic to shrimp in a simulated paddy irrigation reservoir even though treated return water is diluted 5 times. No shrimp fatality is shown in the GCH-treated paddy water after a 4-day holding period, and longer than 5 days is necessary to reach a zero fatality rate for LCH. This is compatible with the 7-day water holding period considered reasonable in agricultural practice.

Time dependence of phase distribution of pyrethroid insecticides in sediment.

Synthetic pyrethroids are strongly hydrophobic compounds, and their toxicity in sediment is regulated by phase distribution among the sediment, dissolved organic matter, and water phases. In the present study, we spiked and equilibrated four pyrethroids in two sediments, and we characterized their phase distribution as a function of contact time. The freely dissolved concentration measured by solid-phase microextraction was only a small fraction (<16.3%) of the total pore-water concentration as determined by liquid-liquid extraction. The fraction of the freely dissolved concentration was significantly greater in the freshwater sediment (1.7-16.3%) than in the marine sediment (1.1-4.2%) following 9 d of equilibration, and it decreased substantially with contact time to less than 5% at 30 d after sediment dosing. Consequently, the apparent organic carbon partition coefficient (Koc) and dissolved organic carbon partition coefficient (Kdoc) values increased significantly over the contact time, especially in the freshwater sediment, suggesting that phase distribution was not at equilibrium after 9 d of equilibration. If only the freely dissolved concentration is bioavailable, these observations suggest that contact time after sediment dosing may greatly affect the bioavailability and, hence, the toxicity of pyrethroids. Therefore, a long contact time (> or = 30 d) is recommended for sediment toxicity testing of this class of compounds. The dependence of bioavailability on contact time also implies that test conditions must be standardized to allow comparison between laboratory-dosed samples and field samples.

Comparison of regulatory method estimated drinking water exposure concentrations with monitoring results from surface drinking water supplies.

Crop-protection compounds are useful tools that enhance the quality of the food we enjoy. However, crop-protection products can enter aquatic systems either by direct or by indirect application. To better understand the possible frequency and magnitude of exposure to water resources, the regulatory community has developed a set of relatively straightforward models for estimating exposure to these water systems. The focus of this research was to compare how well the estimates of exposure to drinking water based on model calculations relate to actual monitoring data. Physical/chemical property data were entered in the EPA's exposure model FIRST and into PRZM/EXAMS. The predictions from FIRST and PRZM/EXAMS were then compared to actual monitoring data from a USGS/EPA cooperative program, which monitored for pesticides in vulnerable surface drinking water supplies during 1999 and 2000. Results from this examination indicate the exposure from the models can overpredict concentrations found in water by several orders of magnitude. An overprediction factor is presented that corrects model predictions to more closely approximate concentrations found in reservoirs (p = 0.05).