Comparative analysis of freshwater species sensitivity distributions and ecotoxicity for priority pesticides: Implications for water quality criteria

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) posed severe threats to the aquatic environment in China. The toxicity data of 18 priority OCPs and OPPs for Chinese and American species were collected, and their species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) and ecotoxicity were compared. Physicochemical characteristics and chemical structures were used to analyze the difference in the pesticide toxicity. Results suggested that there is no significant difference between the HC5 values (hazardous concentration protecting 95% of species) of China and America as a whole. However, the HC5 values of nearly half of these pesticides (8/18) differ dramatically between Chinese and American due to the different resident species distribution. It indicated that it is necessary to develop local water quality criteria in China. The regression analysis of pesticides toxicity differences indicated a decrease in LC50/EC50 values (for Oncorhynchus mykiss and Carassius auratu) with the increase in molecular weights of pesticides. Pesticides with larger MWs might be more toxic to aquatic species. Similar trend was also observed in the regression analysis of a decrease in both American and Chinese HC5 values for with increase of the number of containing halogen atoms. It indicated the potency of these parameters to be used to predict the ecotoxicity of pesticide.