Fenobucarb is one of most common insecticides applied to rice crops in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Paddy fields are preferred habitats for snakehead fish (Channa striata). Therefore, the probability of exposure risks and growth effects is highly. This paper aimed to examine the effects of using fenobucarb based - Excel Basa 50EC on the brain cholinesterase (ChE) of snakehead fish. Two rice fields, in which a single dose of Excel Basa 50EC was applied to one field, whilst the other acted as a control. Each field was subdivided into three plots by earthen dikes. In each plot, one fish cage (1.2 m x 1.2 m x 1.2 m) was installed that was stocked with 20 snakehead fish. The Excel Basa 50EC was applied once at the indication dose. The results highlighted that the concentration of fenobucarb in water at 1 hr after application was 116.72 ppb ± 12.64, which decreased to 23.96 ± 6.61 ppb after d and then to below detection limits (0.02 ppb). For fish living in this field, no mortality was seen, but ChE was significantly inhibited for 31 % on the first day and recovery following 7 days of exposure. Residues of fenobucarb in soil and fish should also be investigated furthermore.
Keywords: Channa striata; cholinesterase; fenobucarb; rice field exposure; toxicology.