The effects of tricyclazole treatment on aquatic macroinvertebrates in the field and in laboratory

Abstract

The effects of tricyclazole treatments on benthic macroinvertebrates in the field and in laboratory were studied. In field conditions, low density of benthic populations was observed, both in treated and untreated plots, which was attributed to the short period of submersion of the rice field and high water temperature, fungicide treatments had no significant effect. Both laboratory acute toxicity test and a test using a mesocosm suggested a low toxicity of tricyclazole on invertebrates. A reduction of the macroinvertebrate density was observed only when tricyclazole concentration was applied at concentrations 100 times the ones tested in the field, acute toxicity test gave an LC50 after 48 h of 26 mg*L–1, in agreement with data obtained for other species.

Keywords

• rice field, fungicide, benthic macroinvertebrates, tricyclazole, ecotoxicology, bioassay.