Accumulation and Metabolism of Fenitrothion in Three Species of Algae

Abstract

Chlorella vulgaris, Nitzschia closterium and Anabaena flos-aquae rapidly absorbed fenitrothion, 0,0-dimethyl 0-(3-methyl-4-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate, from medium, and the maximum bioaccumulation ratio in terms of dry weight was 44, 105 and 53, respectively. On transference of these algae to fenitrothion-free medium, the concentrations of 14C and fenitrothion decreased rapidly, with half-lives of 1–15 hr and 1-2.6 hr, respectively. A. flos-aquae metabolized fenitrothion most actively to its oxon and demethyl analogs and its phenol, whereas C. vulgaris decomposed the chemical not to the oxon analogs, but to demethylfenitrothion. In contrast, DDT showed higher accumulation ratios of 433-82,000 and longer halflives of 17–201 hr under similar conditions. © 1984, Pesticide Science Society of Japan. All rights reserved.