title: A bioassay for the measurement of insecticide concentration.
abstract: A bioassay was developed to measure insecticide residues using fruit flies (Drosophila melongaster). After adding a known volume of sampling solution, the time at which 50% of the flies were dead (LT(50)) was recorded and cross-referenced to the appropriate calibration curve. Using known standards, comparable results were obtained using the bioassay and GC-MS. The bioassay allows concentrations of synthetic pyrethroids as low as 1 pg L(-1) to be measured with a variance of < 5%. The bioassay can be used reliably over a wide range of temperatures and it is tolerant to a range of pH and surface tensions of the test solution. The whole bioassay is compact, physically robust, and simple to use; hence, it could be of use in the field as a quick preliminary assessment of water contamination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D002138:Calibration; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides