Academic Commons

Title

Fate of methoprene in temperate salt marsh ditches following aerial applications

Authors

David J. Tonjes, Department of Technology and SocietyFollow
Anne E. McElroy, State University of New York at Stony BrookFollow
Robin K. Barnes, State University of New York at Stony BrookFollow
Dominick V. Ninivaggi, Suffolk CountyFollow
Walter Dawydiak, Suffolk CountyFollow
Gregory T. Greene, Cashin AssociatesFollow
Bruce J. Brownawell, State University of New York at Stony BrookFollow

Document Type

Article

DOI

DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.070

Publication Date

2018

Keywords

mosquito control, pesticides, persistence, aquatic environments, sediments, estuarine

Abstract

Aerial applications of liquid methoprene are used in salt marshes to control mosquitoes by preventing adult emergence. Despite concern about toxicity to non-target organisms, little is known about environmental concentrations after applications, nor methoprene's persistence in salt marsh environments. Aqueous and sediment samples were collected from two marshes receiving weekly applications. Aqueous samples were collected as early as 30 minutes after applications and as long as nine days afterwards; sediment samples were taken within hours of application and as long as 19 days post-application. Use of time-of-flight liquid chromatography – mass spectral analysis allowed for ultra low detection limits (0.5 ng/L) in water samples. The data show loss of nearly all methoprene from 1 m deep marsh ditches within 1 day and presence but not accumulation of methoprene in marsh sediments despite repeated applications. Methoprene concentrations observed in salt-marsh mosquito ditches were below those found to be of toxicological significance in other studies.

Comments

Published as:

Tonjes, DJ, AE McElroy, RK Barnes-Pohjonen, DV Ninivaggi, W. Dawydiak, GT Greene, and BJ Brownawell. 2018. Fate of methoprene in temperate salt marsh ditches following aerial applications. Science of the Total Environment 642:394-407. DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.070

Recommended Citation

Tonjes, David J.; McElroy, Anne E.; Barnes, Robin K.; Ninivaggi, Dominick V.; Dawydiak, Walter; Greene, Gregory T.; and Brownawell, Bruce J., "Fate of methoprene in temperate salt marsh ditches following aerial applications" (2018). Technology & Society Faculty Publications. 23.
https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/techsoc-articles/23