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TOXIC EFFECTS (BY LC50 ANALYSIS) OF CYPERMETHRIN ON A CYCLOPOID

COPEPOD, MESOCYCLOPS LEUCKARTI (CLAUS, 1857)

Article  in  Indian Journal of Scientific Research · May 2018

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International Journal
of Recent Scientific
International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Research
Vol. 5, Issue, 1, pp.215-217, January, 2014
ISSN: 0976-3031
RESEARCH ARTICLE
TOXIC EFFECTS (BY LC50 ANALYSIS) OF CYPERMETHRIN ON A CYCLOPOID
COPEPOD, MESOCYCLOPS LEUCKARTI (CLAUS, 1857)
Kuldeep Krishan Sharma, Arti Sharma, Hiteshi Jamwal*, Neha Sharma
and Amandeep Kour
Department of Zoology, University of Jammu, Jammu, J&K, India

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article History:
Received 18th, December, 2013
Received in revised form 28th, December, 2013
Accepted 11th, January, 2014
Published online 28th, January, 2014
Key words:
Acute toxicity, Cypermethrin, Copepod,
Mesocyclops leuckarti, LC50 analysis
Use of pesticides has been a very common practice in modern agricultural methods and out
of them insecticides are potentially the most toxic to aquatic invertebrates, especially, when
they get drained off into the natural water bodies, thus posing a threat to the aquatic
organisms. The present study was carried to elaborate the lethal effects of one such pesticide
(cypermethrin) on the fresh water cyclopoid copepod, Mesocyclops leuckarti (Claus, 1857).
Cypermethrin is known to be a highly efficient pesticide. The LC50 studies conducted on the
copepod have indicated that even minute doses like 0.0001 ppm were lethal, for M. leuckarti
when exposure time was 96 hours. The forthcoming paper details LC50 values of this
pesticide for different periods of exposure. The 2, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h LC50 values of
cypermethrin for adult Mesocyclops leuckarti were estimated at 0.00085 ppm, 0.00063 ppm,
0.00038 ppm, 0.00032 ppm and 0.00029 ppm, respectively. Obtained data from the
cypermethrin acute toxicity tests were evaluated using the probit analysis method.
© Copy Right, IJRSR, 2014, Academic Journals. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS

With exploding population and increasing industrialisation and
urbanisation, water pollution by agricultural run-off, municipal
and industrial sources has become a great major concern for the
welfare of humanity (Yousafza and Shakoori, 2011). Pesticides
are used in agriculture to control weeds (herbicides), pests
including insects (insecticides) and plant diseases (Fungicides).
Insecticides are potentially the most toxic to aquatic invertebrates,
as they find their way to the rivers, ponds and other waterbodies,
either through spray drift or through run-off from agricultural
fields. Even their small dose can prove toxic to the tiny planktonic
organisms. As zooplanktonic organisms play an important role in
food chain, so it is necessary to gain the knowledge about the
hazardous effects of cypermethrin on different planktonic types.
Cypermethrin (α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl ester of 2,2-dimethyl-3-
(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethyl cyclopropane carboxylate) is a
synthetic pyrethroid insecticide extensively used for pest control
programs in domestic, industrial and agricultural situations
(Jahanbakhshi et al., 2012). Using cladoceran species as models,
toxic effects of various pesticides have been assessed (Sanders
and Cope, 1966). However, such studies on copepods are rare,
because they are rarely used in toxicological studies, little is
known about their sensitivity compared to other standard
invertebrate organisms used in aquatic ecotoxicology. Mesocosm
studies revealed copepods to be potentially the most sensitive as
compared to cladocerans and rotifers (Willis, 1998). In this study,
a cyclopoid copepod Mesocyclops leuckarti was chosen as the
test-species, for assessing the toxicity of cypermethrin, for
different time exposures.
Mesocyclops leuckarti were collected from the two waterbodies of
Jammu region and their stock cultures were maintained in the
laboratory. Adults were drawn from the stock culture and used for
LC50 experiments. Stock solution of cypermethrin was prepared in
distilled water and its dilutions were made as per the
requirements. For the experiments, sets of 100 ml beakers were
prepared ; each beaker containing 50 ml of the test media and a
different dose of cypermethrin, which ranged from 0.0001 ppm to
0.001 ppm. Ten organisms were exposed to every dose and their
mortality was recorded. The experiments were carried for
different time exposures such as 2h, 24h, 48h, 72h and 96 h. For
each time exposure, the experiments were repeated three times
and averages were calculated. Control sets were also prepared
simultaneously and observed. Temperature during the
experiments ranged between 260C to 320C. Probit analysis was
used to determine the LC50 values.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
As stated before, pesticidal concentration of cypermethrin ranged
from 0.0001 ppm to 0.001 ppm. The results are shown in table 1.
After 2 hour exposure, as seen in table 1, no mortality was seen
up to 0.0002 ppm. 46.66% mortality was observed at 0.0008 ppm
concentration of cypermethrin and 53.33% at 0.0009 ppm
concentration, showing 50 % mortality between 0.0008 ppm and
0.0009 ppm. Highest mortality was found to be 66.66% at 0.001
ppm concentration. Perusal of table 1 revealed that after exposure
of 24 hour, 13.33% mortality was observed at 0.0001 ppm
concentration of cypermethrin. 46.66% mortality was recorded at
0.0006 ppm concentration, followed by 56.66% at 0.0007 ppm

* Corresponding author: Hiteshi Jamwal

Department of Zoology, University of Jammu, Jammu, J&K, India
 International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, Vol. 5, Issue, 1, pp.215-217, January, 2014
concentration. It was thus observed from the present findings that Cypermethrin is very highly toxic to fish and aquatic
50% mortality among the copepods is between 0.0006 ppm to invertebrates. The 96h LC50 value for cypermethrin in rainbow
0.0007 ppm concentration. 83.33% was the highest mortality trout is 0.0082 mg/l and in bluegill sunfish is 0.0018 mg/l
observed at 0.001 ppm concentration. After 48 hour exposure, (Bradbury and Coats, 1989). Its acute 96h LC50 in Daphnia
23.33% mortality was seen at the first concentration of 0.0001 magna, a small freshwater crustacean is 0.0002 mg/l (Bradbury
ppm cypermethrin and 26.66% mortality was observed at 0.0002 and Coats, 1989). Cypermethrin is metabolized and eliminated
ppm concentration. There was a sudden rise in mortality from significantly more slowly by fish than by mammals or birds,
33.33% to 53.33%, at 0.0003 ppm and 0.0004 ppm doses. 50% which may explain this compound’s higher toxicity in fish and
mortality was found to be between 0.0003 ppm to 0.0004 ppm aquatic organisms compared to other organisms (Bradbury and
concentration of cypermethrin. At the last concentration, viz. Coats, 1989). Kurve and Kulkarni (2003) revealed similar
0.001 ppm concentration, 100% mortality for cypermethrin, was findings and indicated that even minute doses like 0.01 ppm of
observed which was highest during 48h exposure period, as Endosulfan were lethal, to Mesocyclops leuckarti.
shown in table 1.
Table 1 Percent mortality in Mesocyclops leuckarti observed for different time
exposures and concentrations of Cypermethrin
Cypermethrin Percentage mortality at different exposure hour
(ppm) 2h 24 h 48 h 72 h 96 h
Control 0 0 0 0 3.33
0.0001 0 13.33 23.33 30 36.66
0.0002 0 20 26.66 33.33 43.33
0.0003 13.33 26.66 33.33 46.66 53.33
0.0004 23.33 36.66 53.33 63.33 73.33
0.0005 26.66 43.33 56.66 70 86.66
0.0006 33.33 46.66 60 83.33 96.66
0.0007 43.33 56.66 73.33 93.33 100
0.0008 46.66 63.33 86.66 100 -
0.0009 53.33 73.33 96.66 - -
0.001 66.66 83.33 100 - -
LC50 determined 0.00085 0.00063 0.00038 0.00032 0.00029
by probit ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm

A perusal of table 1 revealed that after 72 hour exposure, 30% CONCLUSION

mortality was seen at the first concentration viz. 0.0001 ppm
concentration of cypermethrin. 46.66% mortality was observed at
0.0003 ppm concentration, which rose upto 63.33% at 0.0004
ppm, indicating 50% mortality was in between them. Highest
mortality was found to be 100% at 0.0008 ppm concentration of
cypermethrin. After 96 hour duration, as high as 36.66% mortality
was seen at the first concentration viz. 0.0001 ppm concentration
of cypermethrin. At 0.0002 ppm concentration, 43.33% mortality
was recorded and 53.33% at 0.0003 ppm concentration of
cypermethrin. There was a sudden rise in mortality for
cypermethrin from 53.33% to 73.33% at 0.0003 ppm and
0.0004ppm concentration. 100% mortality was observed at
0.0007 ppm concentration of cypermethrin, which was the highest
mortality recorded during the 96h exposure period. In control
treatment, 3.33% mortality was observed for the duration of 96
hour exposure period. Percentage mortality values were recorded
as in Table 1. It was observed during LC50 studies that,
Mesocyclops leuckarti showed heavy mortality when the duration
of exposure was 96 hours. At this duration the pesticidal
concentration in microdoses also proved lethal for adult M.
leuckarti. 43.33% mortality was recorded at 0.0007 ppm
concentration of cypermethrin for 2 hours exposure, whereas at
the same concentration 100% mortality was observed for 96 hours
exposure. Thus, as the period of exposure increased, the rate of
mortality went on increasing giving low LC50. Thus, cypermethrin
proves to be more toxic even in lower concentrations when the
exposure is prolonged. Cypermethrin is very toxic for fish (in
laboratory tests 96h LC50 were generally within the range of 0.4 to
2.8µg/l) and aquatic invertebrates LC50 in the range of 0.01 to
5µg/l (Stephanson, 1982; and Sarkar et al., 2005). Pyrethroids are
the most toxic insecticides affecting aquatic organisms, in
particular fish and crustaceans as reported by Sanchez- Bayo,
2011, which are in agreement with present results.
The current paper envisages the effect of said pesticide on a
microscopic zooplankton, a freshwater cyclopoid copepod and is
equally toxic to other aquatic organisms. Fish species cultivated
on commercial basis have also been adversely affected by
cypermethrin (Hart et al., 1997), Mesocyclops leuckarti is used as
the feed organism for these cultivated fishes (Szlauer and Szlauer,
1980). Thus, effect of cypermethrin on this microorganism also
needs to be taken as a matter of serious concern. In conclusion,
cypermethrin contamination is dangerous to aquatic ecosystems
and this fact should be taken into consideration when this
insecticide is used in agriculture. Biological methods could be
used for controlling mosquito and flies instead of cypermethrin in
order to protect the natural environment.
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