Interactions Between DDT and River Fungi

Abstract

Concentrations of p,p'-DDT between 0.1 and 60 ,sg/ml enhanced the growth rate of Heliscus submersus, and concentrations greater than 2 ,g/ml had a similar effect on Tetracladium setigerum, Varicosporium elodeae, and Clavariopsis aquatica. The rate of growth of each fungus increased with increased DDT concentration.

Litter breakdown for ecosystem integrity assessment also applies to streams affected by pesticides

“…In particular, leaf-associated fungi are poorly sensitive to insecticides (e.g. Dalton et al, 1970), at concentrations where invertebrate detritivores are strongly if not totally repressed (Suberkropp & Wallace, 1992;Kreutzweiser et al, 2009;Thompson et al, 2015). Based on the toxicity to the used standard test organisms, herbicides were the predominant pesticides in our streams.…”