An Assessment of the Effect of Rotenone on Selected Non-Target Aquatic Fauna

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 5;10(11):e0142140. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142140. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Rotenone, a naturally occurring ketone, is widely employed for the management of invasive fish species. The use of rotenone poses serious challenges to conservation practitioners due to its impacts on non-target organisms including amphibians and macroinvertebrates. Using laboratory studies, we investigated the effects of different rotenone concentrations (0, 12.5, 25, 37.5, 50, 100 μg L-1) on selected invertebrate groups; Aeshnidae, Belostomatids, Decapods, Ephemeroptera, Pulmonata and zooplankton over a period of 18 hours. Based on field observations and body size, we hypothesized that Ephemeropterans and zooplankton would be more susceptible to rotenone than Decapods, Belostomatids and snails. Experimental results supported this hypothesis and mortality and behaviour effects varied considerably between taxa, ranging from no effect (crab Potamonuates sidneyi) to 100% mortality (Daphnia pulex and Paradiaptomus lamellatus). Planktonic invertebrates were particularly sensitive to rotenone even at very low concentrations. Future research should investigate the recovery time of invertebrate communities after the application of rotenone and conduct field assessments assessing the longer term effects of rotenone exposure on the population dynamics of those less sensitive organisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Size / drug effects
  • Insecticides / adverse effects
  • Invertebrates / drug effects*
  • Rotenone / adverse effects*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / adverse effects
  • Zooplankton / drug effects

Substances

  • Insecticides
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Rotenone

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Water Research Commission (K5/2261) (www.wrc.org.za); the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF, UID: 77444 [OLFW], 88746 [RJW]) (www.nrf.ac.za); and the Department of Science and Technology-NRF Centre of Excellence in Invasion Biology (CIB) (www.academic.sun.ac.za/cib/). The funders did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the 'author contributions' section.