[Toxicity of atrazine and its metabolite deethylatrazine in Thamnocephalus platyurus and Dugesia gonocephala].

G Arru, A M Congiu, E Burdino, G Ugazio

Index: G. Ital. Med. Lav. Ergon. 19(1) , 17-9, (1997)

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Abstract

The toxicity of Atrazine and that of its Desethylatrazine metabolite has been defined employing two organisms already tested in our labs the Dugesia gonocephala, belonging to a scissiparous strain coming from the island of Tavolara (Sardinia) and the Thamnocephalus platyurus, crustacean anostracan produced under form of quiescent cysts from Creasel Ltd. (Deinze, Belgium). It has been defined the lethal concentrations at 50% of Atrazine and of Desethylatrazine, of which it has been studied also the report dose-effect in the comparisons of the rectilinear motility. The results highlight that in the comparisons of the T. platyurus Atrazine expounds a toxicity of around three times that of its metabolite; this is not seen with the Planarians that are equally sensitive to both the compounds. The use of these two experimental models for the evaluation of the contamination of bodies of water is shown to be particularly useful given their great sensitivity to pollutants.