Effects of leached mirex on experimental communities of estuarine animals

Experimental communities of various estuarine animals in outdoor tanks were exposed to a continuous flow of water containing mirex for 10 weeks. The mirex was leached from fire ant bait (0.3% active ingredient) by fresh water which was then mixed with salt water to yield exposure concentrations averaging 0.038 mug/L. The experiment simulated runoff from treated land into estuarine areas. Mortality of grass shrimp (Palaemonetes vulgaris), pin, shrimp (Penaeus duorarum), common mud crabs (Panopeus herbstii), and striped hermit crabs (Clibanarius vittatus) was significantly high in tanks containing the toxicant. Mortality of ribbed mussels (Modiolus demissus) and American oysters (Crassostrea virginica) was significantly lower in treated tanks, probably because numbers of both species of crabs, which ate the bivalves, were reduced. Sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) were least affected by mirex. Almost all deaths occurred after 10 or more days of exposure. All exposed animals accumulated mirex, with maximum concentrations ranging from 5,500X (pink shrimp) to 73,700X (soft tissues of oysters) above the concentration in the water. Sand substratum contained mirex up to 1,500X that in the water. The study demonstrated that mirex can be leached from bait by fresh water and concentrated by and affect survival of members in an experimental estuarine community.