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Toxicity and risk of permethrin and naled to non-target insects after adult mosquito management

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Abstract

We derived laboratory LC50 values, assessed non-target insect risks, and conducted a field bioassay for ultra-low-volume (ULV) aerosol applications of insecticides used to manage adult mosquitoes. The house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.), was used as an indicator species for medium- to large-bodied ground dwelling insects. The 24-h LC50 values for Permanone® (formulated product of permethrin), Permanone + piperonyl butoxide (PBO), technical grade permethrin, and technical grade permethrin + PBO ranged from 0.052 to 0.9 μg/cm2. The 24 h LC50 for technical grade naled and Trumpet® (formulated product of naled) were 0.038 and 0.44 μg/cm2, respectively. The synergist ratio was 2.65 for Permanone + PBO and 1.57 for technical grade permethrin + PBO. The toxicity of technical grade permethrin was about 10-fold greater than Permanone. A risk assessment using modeled estimated environmental concentrations resulted in risk quotients (RQ) that exceeded regulatory levels of concern, but when compared to field-derived actual environmental concentrations RQs did not exceed a regulatory level of concern, except in the case of technical grade naled. These results were expected because higher tiered risk assessments using field-verified data generally lead to lower risk estimates. Field bioassays using caged crickets showed no significant mortality for permethrin or naled after a single truck-mounted ULV application. The results of the risk assessment using actual environmental concentrations are supported by the field bioassays and suggest that a single ULV application of synergized or unsynergized permethrin and naled most likely will not result in population impacts on medium- to large-bodied insects.

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Acknowledgments

We thank R. Arkoudas and M. Mazzarelli (Cascade County Weed and Mosquito Control District), H. Hickes, A. Schaner, and J. Verreth (Montana State Department of Agriculture’s Chemical Analytical Laboratory), P. Connelly and B. Feiler (AMVAC Corp.), and J. Paige (Bayer Environmental Sciences). This research was supported by the US Armed Forces Pest Management Board’s Deployed War Fighter Protection Program and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA.

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  1. Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, 334 Leon Johnson Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717-3120, USA

    Jerome J. Schleier III & Robert K. D. Peterson

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  1. Jerome J. Schleier III
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Correspondence to Jerome J. Schleier III.

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Schleier, J.J., Peterson, R.K.D. Toxicity and risk of permethrin and naled to non-target insects after adult mosquito management. Ecotoxicology 19, 1140–1146 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-010-0497-9

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