Influence of soil type and organic matter content on the bioavailability, accumulation, and toxicity of α‐cypermethrin in the springtail Folsomia candida

Abstract

The influence of organic matter (OM) content on alpha-cypermethrin porewater concentrations and springtail Folsomia candida accumulation was investigated in two soils with different levels of organic matter, a forest soil with a total organic carbon (TOC) content of 5.0% (OM=11.5%) and an agricultural soil with a TOC content of 1.3% (OM=4.0%). Also, the effects of alpha-cypermethrin concentrations in soil and pore water and the influence of soil aging on springtail reproduction were investigated. Springtail reproduction was severely affected by increasing alpha-cypermethrin in soil with 1.3% TOC; the median effective concentration value (EC50) was estimated to 23.4 mg/kg (dry wt). Reproduction was only marginally affected in the soil with 5.0% TOC, and no EC50 value could be estimated. However, when expressing alpha-cypermethrin accumulation as a function of soil alpha-cypermethrin concentrations, no difference was found between the two soil types, and no additional alpha-cypermethrin uptake was observed at soil concentrations above approximately 200 mg/kg (dry wt). By using solid-phase microextraction (SPME), it could be demonstrated that alpha-cypermethrin porewater concentrations were higher in the soil with low organic matter (LOM) content than in the soil with high organic matter (HOM) content. Furthermore, a clear relationship was found between alpha-cypermethrin concentrations in springtails and porewater. Soil aging was not found to exert any effect on alpha-cypermethrin toxicity toward springtails. The study indicates that the springtail's accumulation of alpha-cypermethrin and reproduction is governed by alpha-cypermethrin porewater concentrations rather than the total alpha-cypermethrin concentration in soil.