Journal of Environmental Biology

Acute toxicity of endosulfan and malathion on Chironomus ramosus (Insecta : Diptera : Chironomidae) from north Cachar hills, Assam, India

 

T.N. Majumdar*¹ and A. Gupta²

¹Department of Zoology, Haflong Government College, Haflong - 788 819, India

²Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Assam University, Dorgakona Silchar - 788 011,? India

(Received: May 10, 2007; Revised received: September 28, 2007; Accepted: November 04, 2007)

Abstract: Acute toxicity tests for the pesticides endosulfan and malathion on the larvae of Chironomus ramosus were conducted. Median Lethal Concentration (LC₅₀) values of endosulfan were 0.55 x 10^-2, 0.16 x 10^-2, 0.089 x 10^-2 and 0.036 x 10^-2 ppb respectively, while those for malathion were 0.139 x 10^-2, 0.054 x 10^-2, 0.019 x 10^-2 and 0.0032 x 10^-2 ppb respectively, at 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr. Thus Chironomus ramosus larvae were more sensitive to malathion at all hours of toxicity tests than endosulfan.

Key words: LC₅₀, Chironomus ramosus, Endosulfan, Malathion

PDF of full length paper is available with author (* taramaj@yahoo.co.in)

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