Effects of esfenvalerate on aquatic organisms in littoral enclosures

Abstract

Abstract The effects of esfenvalerate [(S)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl(S)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-methylbutyrate] on plant and animal communities were observed in 12 littoral enclosures (5 × 10 m) in a 2-ha pond near Duluth, Minnesota, at six concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.08, 0.2, 1, and 5 μg/L, nominal) for eight weeks. Esfenvalerate exposures of 1 and 5 μg/L resulted in drastic reductions or elimination of most crustaceans, chironomids, juvenile bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus), and larval cyprinids. Abundance of some copepod and insect genera declined at esfenvalerate concentrations of 0.08 to 0.2 μg/L, and these effects were apparent up to 53 d. Some invertebrate communities were able to recover by day 25 in enclosures containing concentrations of ≤0.2 μg/L esfenvalerate.