Ref ID : 3313
L.A. Vermeulen, A.J. Reinecke, and S.A. Reinecke; Evaluation of the Fungicide Manganese-Zinc Ethylene Bis (dithiocarbamate) (Mancozeb) for Sulethal and Acute Toxicity to Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta). Ecotoxicol. & Environ.Safety 48:183-189, 2001
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This article describes the outcome of laboratory experiments to determine the acute and sublethal effects of the fungicide mancozeb on the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Apart from a standardized acute test, young worms, 25 days old, were exposed to mancozeb mixed into a urine-free cattle manure substrate. Five groups of 10 worms each were used per concentration level (0, 8, 44 mg/kg substrate). The following like-history parameters were measured: growth in consecutive weeks over a 6-week period, survival rate, maturation time, cocoon production, hatching success of cocoons, number of hatchlings per cocoon, and incubation time of cocoons over another 4 weeks. The results indicated that mancozeb had no significant detrimental effect on either growth or reproduction of E. fetida at the recommended does (8 mg/kg) or at an estimated environmental concentration (44 mg/kg). The findings do not support the hypothesis that avoidance response to mancozeb could serve as an indication of toxicity.