Tracer Pathway of Malathion Insecticide and the Impact of Malathion to the Mouse’s Liver and Brain

Abstract

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 This research was aimed to settle on the pathway of insecticide contamination in the aquatic environment forwarding toward aquatic plants and animals by using radioisotope 14 C labelled malathion. Then by using the same labelled malathion, its pathway to the mammals, i.e. mice, was also determined. The first step of the research was aimed to detect the pathway of malathion residues in water moving toward aquatic plants i.e. Hydrilla verticillata and aquatic animals i.e. fishes. Subsequently, in the second step of the research, the pathway of this labelled malathion from aquatic animals (fish) to mammals (mice). Then, in the third step of this research, the influence of polluting dose of malathion 96 EC, which was frequently found in vegetables in Indonesia, on the mammals’ organ i.e. liver and brain of mice. All of the treatments’ results were compared to the controls’ using Student t-test. Analysis of the results showed that the residual insecticide can be absorbed by the aquatic plans and then entered the fish body through food chain, and also through the gills, skin, scales. Furthermore, it was substantiated that the mammals obtained residual malathion through its food chain, that is, when the fishes were eaten by the mice or other mammals. The concentration of the insecticide observed, malathion, absorbed by water plants, fish organ and mice organ found to be different. This study also proved that the concentration dose of malathion found in vegetables in Indonesia can cause abnormality in the livers of the mice, if it was taken consecutively for 60 days. It was also shown in this study that the brains of the treated mice did not show any significant abnormality.   Keywords: brain; Hydrilla verticillata; liver; Malathion isotops 14 C DOI:  10.7454/msk.v13i2.361