Deformities in chironomid larvae as indicators of pollution (pesticide) stress

Abstract

Chironomid larvae ( Chironomus spp., Oicrotendipes conjunctus and Procladius paludicola) collected from Cox Creek and Aldgate Creek, South Australia, showed morphological abnormalities similar to those reported in other studies elsewhere in the world. The sediment of Cox Creek contained high concentrations of pesticides and there was a significant correlation between the occurrence of mouthpart and antennal deformities in larvae and the concentration of DDT and the herbicide, Dacthal| Laboratory experiments were conducted using a culture of Chironomus sp. to determine whether or not a causal relationship existed between exposure to pesticides and the occurrence of deformities in larvae. Results showed a positive relationship between the concentration of DDT and the percentage of deformed mouthparts (menta). The results for the effect of DDT on antennae and those for the effect of Dacthal| were less clear, but generally showed a higher incidence of deformity for treatments compared with controls.

Fluctuating Asymmetry of Chironomus spp. (Diptera: Chironomidae) Larvae in Association with Water Quality and Metal Pollution in Permatang Rawa River in the Juru River Basin, Penang, Malaysia

“…Grour (2006) reported accumulated that concentrations of lead and copper in different host plants correlated with deviations from bilateral symmetry of cabbage aphids in terrestrial insects. In a related study, Warwick (1985) and Madden et al (1992) reported the effect of heavy metals on larval antennae development in Chironomus spp. Additionally, Bhattacharyay et al (2005) reported a high percentage of antennal deformities in Chironomus circumdatus under sediment Zn and Cu concentrations of 165.79 and 51.33 ppm, respectively, in an Indian polluted river.…”

Evaluation of mentum deformities of Chironomus spp. (Chironomidae: Diptera) larvae using modified toxic score index (MTSI) to assess the environmental stress in Juru River Basin, Penang, Malaysia

“…It appears that different deformities may be caused by specific chemicals (Warwick and Tisdale 1988) or combination of different chemicals (Veroli et al 2010). Madden et al (1992) found increasing frequencies of deformities as levels of metal, coal tar, urban or agricultural runoff, and pesticides elevated. It is also known that heavy metal contamination is a major cause of deformities in the chironomid larvae (Martinez et al 2004;Bhattacharyay et al 2005;Al-Shami et al 2010a).…”

Cytotaxonomy of Chironomidae (Diptera) from Lake Shabla (Bulgaria): cytogenetic evidence for introgressive hydribization

“…As the frequency of deformities and chromosome anomalies in G. glaucus larvae is generally high, it was hypothesised that contaminants in the water bodies were responsible . Laboratory experiments show that some pesticides cause deformities (Madden et al, 1992) . Kohn & Frank (1980) and Warwick (1990) suggest that heavy metals could also cause deformities in Chironomidae .…”