Presented to the University of Manitoba in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor Of
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The Impact of Methoxychlor on Selected Non-Target Organisms in a Ri f f Ie of the Sour i s Ri ver , Man i toba by Robert John Sebastien À thesi s presented to the University of Manitoba in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of. Philosophy 1n The Department of EntomoJ-ogy g.Iinnipeg, Manitoba (c) Robert John Sebastien, 1986 THE IMPACT OF METHOXYCHLOR ON SELECTED NON-TARGET ORGANISMS IN A RIFFLE OF THE SOURIS RIVER, MANITOBA BY ROBERT JOHN SEBASTIEN A thesis subntitted to the Factrlty of Graduate Studies of tþe Ulliversity of Marritoba in partial fulfillnrerrt of the requirentettts of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY o 1986 Permissio¡t has bee¡r grattted to the LIBRARY OF THE UNIVER- SITY OF MANITOBA to le¡ld or sell ccpies of tltis thesis, to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA to microfilnr this thesis a¡rd to ienC or sell ccpics of the filrn, and Ul'IIVERSITY MICROFILMS to publish arl abstract of this thesis. The author reserves other publicatio¡r rights, and neitlter tlte thesis nor exte¡tsive extracts fro:-¡ i't rnay be priirted or other- wise reproduced without the author's written perntissiort. ABSTRACT A riffle on the Souris River, located at Bunclody Manitoba, was treat.ed with methoxychlor on 15 JuIy 1982 at a rate of 0.3 ng/Iitre for 15 min" The treatment caused an immediate catastrophic drift in aII of the 16 species of invertebrates examined.'NormaL' behavioral drift densities $¡ere exceeded by many orders of magnitude. The catastrophic drift peak lasted from 4 to 24 h depending on the species involved, and was fol]owed by a large decrease in drifting populat ions. Individual taxa demonstrated varying abilities to recolonize artificial substrates following treatment. Species that had a high propensity to drift under natural conditions recolonized most rapidly ê.9. (gaetis spp., and Cae_OiE tardata), Taxa that required the longest period of time to recolonize were generally univoltine species that had a very low propensity to drift and a línited ability to disperse as adults (ê.9. Psvchomvia flavida). The impact of the methoxychlor treatment on some species v¡as influenced by the phenology of those species. Emerging taxa that were in the pupal stage and apparently not affected by the pesticider or that were in the terrestrial adult stage and thus not exposed to the pesticide in the river, acted as important sources for räcolonization. IV The methoxychlor treatment resulted in an immediate 3-fold increase in drift density of white sucker fry ( Catostomus commersoni), and some were moribund in the pool downstream of the treatment riffle immediately following injection. A catastrophic drift of crayfish (Orconectes virilis) juveniles was also observed following injection. Juveniles of this species may be far more sensitive to methoxychlor than has been previously indicated for adults. Species diversity in the drift was significantly reduced (p<.05) at the treatment site for six days following treatment. Species richness and total numbers in the drift v¡ere significantly reduced (p<.05) at the treatment site for at least 33 days following treatment. The methoxychlor injection significantly reduced (p<.05) species diversity on artificial substrates at the treatment site for 14 days. Species richness and total numbers on substrates were significantly lower (p<.05) at the treatment site for 4 and I days respectively following treatment. Species richness vras a better indicator than diversity indices, such as the Shannon-Weaver and Simpson's, of biological change induced by the methoxychlor treatment. Drift was restored only after recovery of the benthic standing crop as measured on artificial substrates. This suggests a density relationship of drift to benthic standing crop. Invertebrate drift is a more sensitive measure than benthic density of the impact of methoxychlor treatments on aquatic invertebrate communities. v DEDT CATION To my parents, Camille and Helen Sebastien, who are my best, friends and have always supported me throughout my academic and athletic careers. v1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. R.A Brust for his patience, guidance, and encouragement throughout the course of this study. I am yery grateful to my supervisory committee in particular Dr. T.D. GaIloway and Dr. D'M. Rosenbêr9, f or many helpful suggestions during the course of the study and for reviewing the thesis. My gratitude is also given to Dr. D.C.G. ltuir of the Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, for assistance and the use of equipment for analysis of methoxychlor residues in water, and Dr. N.J. Holliday for advice and assistance concerning statistical analysis. Others who have assisted me directly with the project include Mr. John Serger, Mr. Kevin Nixon, and Miss Valerie DeJong. To these people I ext.end my sincere thanks for their persistent dedication during my work in the field and in the laboratory. Mr. D.N. Fenwick kindly provided facilities on his farm at Bunclody, Manitoba for a fíe1d trailer used throughout the field-sampling portion of the study from 1981-1983. vI1 A special thanks is extended to Mr. Ron Lypka of the Freshwater Institute, Winnipeg, for his invaluable advice concerning computer analysis and graphics. v111 CONTENTS ÀBSTRACT . 1V DEDI CÀTION v1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vrl Chapter page I I NTRODUCTI ON ,1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW .5 The Toxicity of Methoxychlor to Non-Target Aquatic Insects (laboratory Studies) 5 The Toxicity of Methoxychlor to Non-Target Aquatic Insects in Lotic Environments (nietd Studies) . 7 Ovgrviewð...o..oo.o' 7 Critique of studies in western Canada o 1 4 Secondary effects of Pesticide application . 28 The Toxicity and Sublethal Effects of Methoxychlor on Crustaceans . 30 The Toxicity and Sublethal Effects of MethoxychloronMolluscs...o 32 The Toxicity and Sublethal Effects of Methoxychlor on Insect Eggs . 3s Residues and Degradation of Methoxychlor in Aquatic Insects . o o . 36 The Influence of Formulation on the Selectivity of MethoxYchlor . 38 III. MÀTERIÀLS AND METHODS 45 StudyAreaandsítes.. ... o 45 Experimental Application of Methoxychlor 47 Water Chemistry and Discharge . 47 Methoxychlor Residues in River Water . 48 Drift studies . 51 Benthic Studies (ertificial Substrates) 55 Insect Emergence . o . 57 Statistical Analyses . o . 60 1X 67 IV. RESULTS Water ChemisLrY and Discharge o 67 ' 68 Methoxychlor Residues in River Water o oriftstudies .... .. 69 ¡ã"ir.ið studies (ertificial substrates) 77 Drift Benthos RelationshiP ' ' ' 80 InsectEmergence...o" 81 102 V. DI SCUSSION 126 VT. CONCLUSTONS LITERATURE CITED 129 pê_qe ApBe¡-Öix DRIFT AND ART]FICIAL SUBSTRÀTE FIGURES FOR A. 136 ÀDDITIONAL AND TOTAL TÀXÀ . O B. A METHOD FOR SUBSAMPLING UNSORTED BENTHTC MACROINVERTEBRATES BY WEIGHT O ' 166 X LISÎ OT FIGIIRES Page Ffgure I Methoxychlor additfon of Haufe 9.! al' (1980) to Athabasca Rfver- Average catch of EpherneroPtera taxawlthtimerLs-22lûaylgT6rfromthedownstream drift Ln the thalweg. Data shown as running three- interval means at Pellcan RaPids 44 and 2 The study area showl-ng location of the controL treatment rtffle sites 64 Btudy 3 Díagrarn of the experirnental design at the rffile sítes showing drift, emergence trap' and artlfícíal substrate samPlers 6s 4 Concrete paving Etone used as an artífícíal- substrate 66 )F Dlscharge for the Sourls River, Manítoba, at Sourisr-Manltoba (located 18 kn upstream from study sltes). A) L982, B) 1983' the 89 (Environment Canada) larvae 6 Mean (t s.e.) ctrff t density of Ba-etig-ltP' at the three sampling sites for the 1982 sanpling dates 90 larvae 7 Mean (l s.e.) drift density of Baetl-s spp' at the control and treatment-ouÈlet sarnpl-1ng sltes on 03 August 1983 . 91 I Mean (t s.e.) drtft density of PsychomvLa flgylda the three sanpling sites for the 1982 larvae at 92 sarnpl-lng dates 9 Mean (t s.e.) drift density of Psychorayla flavida and treatment-outlet larvae at the control 93 sarnpling sftes on 03 August 1983 ' 10 Mean (t s.e.) drift densitY of Cheumatopsyche at the three sarnplfng sLtes for campyla larvae 94 the 1982 sampling dates -xl * Figure Page 11 Mean (Ê s.e.) drift densitY of Cheunatopsyche campyla larvae at the control and treatment- outlet sanpllng sltes on 03 August 1983 " ' " 95 Hvdroptfla L2 Mean (t s.e.) drtft density of "i?T^ larvae at the three saropllng sftes for the 1982 samplfng dates ..... 96 l3 Mean (t s.e.) drift densLty of Hydroptfl-a ajax larvae at the control and treatment-outlet sampllng sLtes on 03 AugusÈ L983 ' 97 t4 Mean (t s.e.) drlft density of Catostomus coynmersonf fry at the three sanpllng sl-tes for the 1982 sanpling dates 9B 15 Mean (t s.e.) drlft densitY of Catostomus commersoni fry at the control and treaÈment- outlet sampling sites on 03 August 1983 99 16 Mean (t s.e.) number of total Lnvertebrates ln the drift and on artificial substrates at the treatnent-outlet sfte. TreaÈment date (15 July 1982) not lncluded 100 t7 Rel-atlonship between number of total lnveÌtebrates in the drfft to totals on artfffclal substrates at the treatDent-outlet sl-te . 100 and 18 Mean (t s.e.) emergence at the control' A) Hydroptila ajax treatment sltes. 101 B) Cheurna topsvche campyla 19 Mean (t s.e.) drfft densLtY of CaenLs tardata larvae at the three sanPl-ing sltes for the L37 1982 sanpllng dates 20 Mean (t s.e.) drlft density of Caenis t?rdata larvae at the control and treatment-outLet sanplfng sLtes on 03 August 1983 138 2L Mean (t B.e.) drlft densfty of Ephoron albu¡n larvae at the three sanpllng sÍtes for the 1982 saropllng datea ... "'"'¡ 139 -xaa- Flgure Page 22 Mean (1 s.e.) drlft densLty of Ephoron albun larvae at the control and treatment-outlet sanplfng sftes on 03 August 1983 140 23 Mean (t s.e.) drfft denslty of Isonychia sicg?- larvae at the three sanplfng sftes for the 1982 sanplfng dates ....