Environ Health Toxicol.  2014 ;29(1):e2014008. 10.5620/eht.2014.29.e2014008.

Acute toxicity assessment of camphor in biopesticides by using Daphnia magna and Danio rerio

• Yim EC
• Kim HJ
• Kim SJ

• KMID: 2380101
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5620/eht.2014.29.e2014008

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
An ecofriendly alternative to chemical pesticides is bio-pesticides, which are derived from natural sources. The interest in bio-pesticides is based on the disadvantages associated with chemical pesticides.
METHODS
We conducted acute toxicity assessments of camphor, a major component of bio-pesticides, by using Daphnia magna (D. magna) as well as assessed the morphological abnormalities that occurred in Danio rerio (D. rerio) embryos.
RESULTS
The median effective concentration of camphor on D. magna after 48 hours was 395.0 muM, and the median lethal concentration on D. rerio embryos after 96 hours was 838.6 muM. The no observed effect concentration and predicted no effect concentration of camphor on D. magna, which was more sensitive than D. rerio, were calculated as 55.2 muM and 3.95 muM, respectively. Morphological abnormalities in D. rerio embryos exposed to camphor increased over time. Coagulation, delayed hatching, yolk sac edema, pericardial edema, and pigmentation of embryos mainly appeared between 24 and 48 hours. Further, symptoms of scoliosis and head edema occurred after 72 hours. In addition, bent tails, ocular defects and collapsed symptoms of fertilized embryonic tissue were observed after 96 hours.
CONCLUSIONS
The camphor toxicity results suggest that continuous observations on the ecosystem are necessary to monitor toxicity in areas where biological pesticides containing camphor are sprayed.

Keyword

Acute toxicity; Bio-pesticides; Camphor; Danio rerio embryo; Daphnia magna; Morphological abnormalities

MeSH Terms

Camphor*
Daphnia*
Ecosystem
Edema
Embryonic Structures
Head
Pesticides
Pigmentation
Scoliosis
Yolk Sac
Zebrafish*
Camphor
Pesticides