Acute toxicity of two pesticides (dursban, mancozeb) and their combined mixture on the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare (Oniscidea, Isopoda)

Abstract

Our study focused on evaluating an acute toxicity test, where woodlice (Armadillidium vulgare) which is the most abandoned in our region , were exposed to pesticides (dursban and mancozeb) most used in Algeria.The concentrations of the pesticids tested are 720 mg/kg,360 mg/kg,90 mg/kg, 45 mg/kg for dursban; 800 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg,100 mg/kg for mancozeb and 720/800 mg/kg, 360/400 mg/kg,90/200 mg/kg, 45/100 mg/kg for the mixture of dursban and mancozeb.Our results show that dursban was highly toxic (69% mortality after 28 days of the test) compared to mancozeb (19.5% mortality). On the other hand, in the case of the mixture (dursban ± mancozeb), the toxicity was lower (63% mortality) compared to the dursban tested alone. Contamination of woodlice with dursban and a mixture of dursban and mancozeb revealed morphological effects such as alteration of the marsupial cavity and expulsion of eggs from the outside of this cavity. Dursban and the mixture of dursban and mancozeb are toxic to Armadillidium vulgare, but mancozeb alone is not toxic. Dursban should be banned because it is bad for soil fauna and therefore probably for biodiversity in general and even human health.