Chironomid larvae

Resistance of house flies (Musca domestica) to DDT was attributed to its transformation to the nontoxic DDE, and the enzyme that carries the dehydrochlorination has been characterized in DDT-resistant flies (Lipke and Kearns 1959a,b). The herbicide alachlor is transformed by chironomid larvae by O-demethylation followed by loss of the chloroacetyl group to produce 2,6-diethylaniline... 

Wei LY, CR Vossbrinck (1992) Degradation of alachlor in chironomid larvae (Diptera Chironomidae). J Agric Food Chem 40 1695-1699. 

Among arthropods, pyrophosphate granules isolated from barnacles have the capability to bind and effectively detoxify silver and other metals under natural conditions (Pullen and Rainbow 1991). In a Colorado alpine lake, silver concentrations in caddisflies and chironomid larvae usually reflected silver concentrations in sediments seston, however, showed a high correlation with lake water silver concentrations from 20 days earlier (Freeman 1979). 

Chironomid larvae population remained >90% depressed for 5 months (Mulla et al. 1971)... 

Chapman, P.M., Bailey, H. and Canaria, E. (2000) Toxicity of total dissolved solids associated with two mine effluents to chironomid larvae and early lifestages of rainbow trout, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19, 210-214. 

Bervoets L, Solis D, Romero AM, et al. 1998. Trace metal levels in chironomid larvae and sediments from a Bolivian river Impact of mining activities. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 41 275-283. 

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