Divergent toxicity of parathion in two freshwater invertebrates, orconectes rusticus and viviparus malleatus.

The toxicity of parathion and its metabolite paraoxon was examined in the crayfish Orconectes rusticus and the snail Viviparus malleatus and attempts were made to relate this to parathion uptake and metabolism. The crayfish was found to be very susceptible with all animals tested dying at 0.1 ppb of parathion in 48 hours. The snail was resistant to exposure to 1000 ppm. The absence of lethality even to injected (50 mg/kg) parathion and paraoxon suggests an innate lack of susceptibility. Metabolism of the compounds could not be detected in vitro or in vivo in either species.