ABSTRACT
Representatives of government and industry regulatory and research groups have formed a working group to develop a test method to assess the potential impact of pesticides on sediment dwelling organisms. Larvae of the common midge Chironomus riparius were chosen as the test species.
It is proposed that compounds which have been shown to be persistent and readily adsorb to sediments may be further evaluated with such a test. The method in preparation will assess the development of larvae of the midge Chironomus riparius from first instar through to adulthood using a natural sediment/artificial water system. The pesticide formulation under investigation will be applied at a rate equivalent to the expected environmental concentration.
The following paper will outline the proposed test method and give details of the test method validation work currently in progress.
