Acute Aquatic Toxicity of Metofluthrin Metabolites in the Environment
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J. Pestic. Sci. 38(4), 173–180 (2013) DOI: 10.1584/jpestics.D13-009 Original Article Acute aquatic toxicity of metofluthrin metabolites in the environment Mitsugu Miyamoto,* Akiko Fujiwara, Hitoshi Tanaka and Toshiyuki Katagi Environmental Health Science Laboratory, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., 4–2–1 Takatsukasa, Takarazuka, Hyogo 665–8555, Japan (Received February 14, 2013; Accepted June 29, 2013) Acute aquatic toxicity of eight major metabolites of the pyrethroid insecticide metofluthrin, potentially formed via oxidation and ester cleavage in the environment, was examined using three representative species, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), Daphnia magna and green alga (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata). All metabolites showed a wide range of toxicity but were more than a hundredfold and tenfold less toxic than metofluthrin to pyrethroid-sensitive (fish and daphnid) and -insensitive (algal) taxa, respectively; 0.44 to >120 mg/L (fish 96-hr LC50), 6.3 to >120 mg/L(daphnid 48-hr EC50), and 2.6 to >110 mg/L (algal 96-hr EyC50). The structural modification via ester cleavage and/or oxidation was found to significantly control the acute aquatic toxicity of the metabolites. The decreased lipophilicity in the metabolites generally resulted in much less acute toxicity, the extent of which was dependent on an introduced functional group such as formyl as a toxicophore and carboxyl causing a higher acid- ity. © Pesticide Science Society of Japan Keywords: fathead minnow, Daphnia magna, alga, metofluthrin, ecotoxicity, metabolite. ester linkage, as reported for 4′-OH-bifenthrin.10) Introduction Metofluthrin (I) (SumiOne®, Eminence®) [2,3,5,6- Pyrethroid is one of the most important chemical classes of in- tetrafluoro-4-(methoxymethyl) benzyl(1R,3R)-2,2-dimethyl-3- secticide for both agricultural and public hygiene uses; it is not ((1EZ)-prop-1-enyl)cyclopropanecarboxylate] is a new pyre- only exhibits an excellent biological activity but also readily de- throid insecticide with an extremely high knockdown activ- grades biotically and abiotically in the environment.1–4) It can ity, especially against mosquitoes.11,12) Similarly to other pyre- be well understood from its mode of action that pyrethroid is throids, I exhibits high acute toxicity to common carp (Cyprinus highly toxic to fish and arthropods (crustaceans and insects) in carpio) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with 96-hr general, but extremely less toxic to other invertebrates such as LC50 of 0.0012 and 0.00306 mg/L, respectively, and to Daphnia 5) mollusk and aquatic plants including algae. Rapid degradation magna with 48-hr EC50 of 0.0047 mg/L, while it is much less of pyrethroid in the environment makes its aquatic risks under toxic to green algae (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) with 72-hr 12–14) practical uses acceptable and manageable, while ecological risk EbC50 of 0.16 mg/L. Considering the typical use pattern of I, assessment of corresponding metabolites is very limited at the which is distributed into the air by vaporization as a mosquito present. In general, metabolic transformation of a pesticide ei- adulticide, its direct emission into the aquatic environment is ther destroys a toxicophore structure or introduces a new func- most unlikely. Even if emitted into the aquatic environment, I tional group, generally leading to increased molecular hydro- degrades via either hydrolysis to the corresponding acid and al- philicity, and the changes in the mode of action or the uptake cohol moieties or sunlight photolysis with successive oxidation potential result in less toxicity of metabolites than the parent.6) at the prop-1-enyl side chain with no remarkable change in an Most metabolites formed via ester cleavage show far less toxicity E/Z isomer ratio because of similar degradation rates and no 15) (LC50, EC50) to sensitive taxa by 2–6 orders of magnitude than isomerization. Furthermore, when I is distributed in the ter- do corresponding pyrethroids,7–9) while limited information is restrial environment, aerobic microbes in soil rapidly metabolize available on the aquatic toxicity of metabolites having an intact it via ester cleavage followed by successive oxidation16) or it is photodegraded by sunlight on the soil surface.17) Eight major * To whom correspondence should be addressed. metabolites (II–IX) detected through environmental fate stud- E-mail: [email protected] ies, as shown in Fig. 1, have unique chemical structures different Published online September 9, 2013 from other pyrethroids. © Pesticide Science Society of Japan The objective of this study has been to determine basic 174 M. Miyamoto et al. Journal of Pesticide Science Fig. 1. Structures of metofluthrin metabolites in the environment with their route of formation. aquatic ecotoxicological profiles of the major metabolites identi- on a standard commercial fish food (TetraMin®, Tetra Werke, fied in environmental fate studies of metofluthrin, using three Germany), and juveniles (total length, 1.5–2.9 cm) were used standard aquatic species (fish, daphnid, algal), in relation to the for bioassays. D. magna cultures, held at ca. 20°C with a 16-hr structural modification from metofluthrin. daylight photoperiod, regularly fed on commercially available chlorella (Chlorella V12, Chlorella Industry Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Materials and Methods Japan), and <24-hr-old neonates were used. Elendt M4 medium 1. Chemicals referenced in OECD guideline 20218) or ASTM Hard Reconsti- The metabolites of I (II–VI and VIII) were prepared as test tuted Fresh Water19) was used as culture water. Pure water with substances in our laboratory according to the reported meth- an electrical resistivity of more than 17 MΩ cm, provided by a ods.11,15–17) The chemical purity of each metabolite was deter- Barnstead E-pure D4643 (4Module E-pure, Barnstead Ther- mined by HPLC to be greater than 98%. VII (99.4%) and IX molyne Co., Iowa, USA), was used to prepare the culture media. (>97%) were purchased from Showa Denko K.K. (Tokyo, Japan) Fathead minnows and D. magna were not fed during the bioas- and Tokyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), respectively, says. Precultures of P. subcapitata were prepared prior to each and used without further purification. All other chemicals were bioassay from stocks in a refrigerator and incubated at 23–26°C of a reagent grade and purchased from commercial suppliers in the medium referenced in OECD guideline 20118) under con- unless otherwise noted. tinuous shaking (Multishaker MMS-310, Tokyo Rikakikai Co., Ltd.) and illumination (fluorescent bulbs). 2. Test organisms Fathead minnow (P. promelas), D. magna, and the unicellular 3. Bioassays green algal species, P. subcapitata (ATCC22662), were chosen The acute toxicity of each metabolite on three species was ex- as test species because of recommendations in international test amined basically in accordance with the corresponding inter- guidelines, such as those of the OECD (Organisation for Eco- national guidelines of the OECD.18) The same types of media for nomic Co-operation and Development).18) Parental organisms culturing were used for the bioassays. The aqueous solution of a were originally obtained from the National Institute for Envi- metabolite (V–IX) was prepared at a desired concentration by ronmental Studies (Ibaraki, Japan) for fathead minnows and its direct dissolution, followed by serial dilution with the media. from Sumika Technoservice Corporation (Hyogo, Japan) for Otherwise, a metabolite (II–IV) was first dissolved inN ,N- D. magna and P. subcapitata. The cultures of fathead minnows dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by dilution with the media were held in tap water dechlorinated with activated charcoal at at 0.1 mL DMF/L. When a test substance was partly dissolved ca. 25°C with a 16-hr daylight photoperiod. They regularly fed in the media, the supernatant by decantation was used for the Vol. 38, No. 4, 173–180 (2013) Acute aquatic toxicity of metofluthrin metabolites in the environment 175 exposure and chemical analysis. The chemical analysis of each and the limited buffering capacity of the OECD medium, the metabolite was regularly conducted in each test, together with pH effect on algal toxicity was conveniently examined for VI at measurements of temperature (Multi-thermometer, JAPAN PET 100 mg/L by readjusting the pH of the exposure OECD medium DRUGS Co., Ltd.) and pH (Model B-212, Horiba Ltd., Japan). to ca. 8 with 0.1 N NaOH. Except in the algal tests, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentra- tion in the test solution was also measured (SevenGo pro, Met- 4. Chemical analysis tler Toledo, Columbus, Ohio, USA). At least at the initiation and termination of exposure, the con- 3.1. Fish acute toxicity test centration of each metabolite was determined by direct HPLC Groups of seven fathead minnows were exposed without rep- analysis of each test solution after an appropriate dilution. A Shi- lication in 1000 mL of each test solution for 96 hr under static madzu HPLC system (LC-10AD pump, SCL-10A system con- conditions using 1-L glass beakers. In the case of III, 20-L size troller and SPD-10A UV detector at 230 nm) equipped with an stainless steel vessels (27×27×32 cm) filled with a 10-L test L-column ODS (5 µm, 4.6mmϕ×150 mm; Chemicals Evaluation solution were used instead under static-renewal (every 48 hr) and Research Institute, Japan, Tokyo) was operated at a flow rate conditions to maintain exposure concentrations. The test vessels of 1.0 mL/min under the isocratic condition. The mixing ratio were partly immersed in a temperature-controlled water bath (v/v) of acetonitrile/0.05% trifluoroacetic acid water as a mobile maintained at 25± 1°C under a photoperiod of 16 hr/day using phase and the typical retention time of each metabolite in paren- fluorescent bulbs (ca. 500–1000 lx). Except in the cases of III thesis are as follows: II, 35/65 (13.3, 16.2, 17.3, and 18.5 min); and VI, the test solutions were mildly aerated to maintain the III, 3/2 (6.8 min); IV, 2/3 (17.5 min); V, 2/3 (8.1 min); VI, 1/9 DO levels.