Environmental fate of synthetic pyrethroids during spray drift and field runoff treatments in aquatic microcosms

Abstract

The aquatic fate and persistence of synthetic pyrethroids under spray drift and field runoff treatment regimes were determined in outdoor pond microcosms. In this paper, the experimental design and construction of outdoor microcosms is presented, as well as the aquatic fate of tralomethrin and deltamethrin. Tralomethrin is rapidly degraded to deltamethrin, with a half-life of 12.7 hours under spray drift conditions. Degradation profiles of tralomethrin in water indicated rapid conversion of deltamethrin and to less active isomers and then to decamethrinic acid (BR 2CA). After 24 hours, the percent radioactivity of tralomethrin was 25% of the test material in the water column. In sediment, tralomethrin was immediately converted to deltamethrin. Deltamethrin is rapidly degraded with a half-life of 8 to 48 hours, depending on mechanism of introduction into water. Degradation profiles of deltamethrin in water indicated rapid conversion of deltamethrin to decamethrinic acid (BR 2CA), comprising approximately 90% of the radioactivity in the aqueous phase at 168 hours. Extraction and analysis of fathead minnows ( Pimephales promelas) after 96 hours revealed that tissue residues contained parent compounds and metabolites α-R-deltamethrin, trans-deltamethrin and Br 2CA. Fish residues are directly related to aqueous concentrations, thus bioavailability under field runoff regimes were an order of magnitude lower than tissue residues under spray drift conditions. Plant tissue was found to significantly accumulate pyrethroids.