title: The effects of the contemporary-use insecticide (fipronil) in an estuarine mesocosm.
abstract: To examine the effects of environmentally realistic fipronil concentrations on estuarine ecosystems, replicated mesocosms containing intact marsh plots and seawater were exposed to three treatments of fipronil (150, 355, and 5000 ng/L) and a Control. Juvenile fish (Cyprinidon variegatus), juvenile clams (Mercenaria mercenaria), oysters (Crassostrea virginica), and grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) were added prior to fipronil in an effort to quantify survival, growth, and the persistence of toxicity during the planned 28-day exposure. Results indicated that there were no fipronil-associated effects on the clams, oysters, or fish. Shrimp were sensitive to the highest two concentrations (40% survival at 355 ng/L and 0% survival at 5000 ng/L). Additionally, the highest fipronil treatment (5000 ng/L) was toxic to shrimp for 6 weeks post dose. These results suggest that fipronil may impact shrimp populations at low concentrations and further use in coastal areas should be carefully assessed.
authors.affiliation: Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, NOAA, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA. ed.wirth@noaa.gov
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Pennington
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: DeLorenzo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bearden
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shaddrix
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sivertsen
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Fulton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000187:drug effects; D017753:Ecosystem; D005399:Fishes; D005618:Fresh Water; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D033541:Palaemonidae / Q000187:drug effects; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000633:toxicity*; D012623:Seawater; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D011720:Pyrazoles; C082360:fipronil