Predicting long-term toxicity by subacute screening of pesticides with larvae and early juveniles of four species of freshwater major carp

Abstract

The present study was designed to determine the 96-hr TL 50 and maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) of chlordane (organochlorine), Meta-Systox (organophosphate), and Sevin or carbaryl (carbamate) for larvae of four species of freshwater major carp, viz., Labeo rohita, Cirrhina mrigala, Cyprinus carpio, and Catla catla. The 30-day MATC values for each of the four larval carp were found to range from 0.42 to 0.50 μg/liter for chlordane, 40 to 50 μg/liter for Meta-Systox, and 52 to 78 μg/liter for Sevin, respectively, except for Cirrhina mrigala for which the MATC was found to be 30–40 μg/liter for Meta-Systox. Based on the 96-hr TL 50 and MATC so obtained, application factors for each pesticide and for each species were determined which can be utilized for setting water quality standards.