Gupta Shrawan K, Saxena Prem N
Cell Biology Division, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, P.O. Box 80, M.G. Road, Lucknow 226 001, India.
Altern Lab Anim. 2003 Dec;31(6):587-93. doi: 10.1177/026119290303100607.
Carbaryl, an N-methyl carbamate insecticide, is used in India to control foliar insects, but, due to soil contamination, it also adversely affects non-target organisms such as earthworms. This paper deals with the toxic effects of carbaryl on the behavioural and reproductive profiles of the earthworm, Metaphire posthuma. Locomotion and geotaxis were significantly affected, even after a 20-minute exposure to 0.125ppm carbaryl. The hatching of cocoons was altered at 0.5ppm, whereas cocoon production was retarded even at 0.125ppm carbaryl. No cocoon production was observed at 2.0ppm carbaryl. Sperm head abnormalities were reported even at the lowest test concentration of 0.125ppm. Wavy head abnormalities were observed at 0.125ppm carbaryl, whereas at 0.25ppm and 0.5ppm, the sperm heads became amorphous and the head nucleus was turned into granules deposited within the wavy head. It is concluded that the earthworm could be used as an ecosystem model for the initial toxicity testing of environmental pollutants.
西维因是一种氨基甲酸甲酯类杀虫剂，在印度用于防治叶面害虫，但由于土壤污染，它也会对蚯蚓等非目标生物产生不利影响。本文探讨了西维因对蚯蚓（参环毛蚓）行为和繁殖特征的毒性作用。即使在接触0.125ppm西维因20分钟后，蚯蚓的运动和趋地性也受到了显著影响。在0.5ppm时，茧的孵化发生改变，而即使在0.125ppm西维因的情况下，茧的产生也受到了抑制。在2.0ppm西维因时未观察到茧的产生。即使在最低测试浓度0.125ppm时也报告了精子头部异常。在0.125ppm西维因时观察到波浪状头部异常，而在0.25ppm和0.5ppm时，精子头部变得无定形，头部细胞核变成沉积在波浪状头部内的颗粒。得出的结论是，蚯蚓可作为环境污染物初始毒性测试的生态系统模型。
