A microcosm system to evaluate the toxicity of the triazine herbicide simazine on aquatic macrophytes.
This study evaluates the effects of the triazine herbicide simazine in an outdoor pond microcosm test system that contained two submerged rooted species (Myriophyllum spicatum and Elodea canadensis) and two emergent rooted species (Persicaria amphibia and Glyceria maxima) over a period of 84 days. Simazine was applied to the microcosms at nominal concentrations of 0.05, 0.5 and 5 mg/L. General biological endpoints and physiological endpoints were used to evaluate herbicide toxicity on macrophytes and the algae developing naturally in the system. Concentration-related responses of macrophytes and algae were obtained for the endpoints selected, resulting in a no observed ecologically adverse effect concentration (NOEAEC) at simazine concentrations of 0.05 mg active ingredient/L after 84 days. E. canadensis was the most negatively affected species based on length increase, which was consistently a very sensitive parameter for all macrophytes. The experimental design presented might constitute a suitable alternative to conventional laboratory single-species testing.
Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. marco.vervliet@biologie.uni-freiburg.de
Marco
M
Vervliet-Scheebaum
Alain
A
Straus
Horst
H
Tremp
Mick
M
Hamer
Stephen J
SJ
Maund
Edgar
E
Wagner
Ralf
R
Schulz
D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006540:Herbicides / Q000633:toxicity*; D031321:Hydrocharitaceae / Q000187:drug effects*; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000187:drug effects; D006109:Poaceae / Q000187:drug effects*; D019664:Polygonaceae / Q000187:drug effects*; D012839:Simazine / Q000633:toxicity*; D013045:Species Specificity; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods*
D006540:Herbicides; D012839:Simazine