Insecticides and heavy metals are frequently detected in the environment, but few studies have assessed the joint toxicity of organic and inorganic contaminants. Joint toxicity of a pyrethroid insecticide, cypermethrin, and a heavy metal, Pb(2+), was evaluated in the present study. An antagonistic toxic response was observed when the benthic invertebrate Chironomus dilutus was simultaneously exposed to the two contaminants in both water and sediment exposures. Pre-exposure bioassays with midges were also conducted, and toxicity of cypermethrin was significantly reduced for midges that were pre-exposed to Pb(2+). In addition, the impact of Pb(2+) on the bioavailability of cypermethrin to midges was measured using Tenax extraction. No significant difference was noted in the amount of Tenax-extractable cypermethrin when different amounts of Pb(2+) were added to sediment. Results suggested that altered organism sensitivity may contribute to the observed antagonistic interaction between cypermethrin and Pb(2+), whereas the influence of changes in toxicokinetic processes such as uptake, biotransformation, and elimination on the joint toxicity should be further studied. Finally, the decreased toxicity of cypermethrin when simultaneously applied with Pb(2+) may be one reason for the overestimation of sediment toxicity by cypermethrin alone in field-collected sediment.
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