Mirex effects

Mehrle, P.M., F.L. Mayer, and D.R. Buckler. 1981. Kepone and mirex effects on bone development and swim bladder composition in fathead minnows. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 110 638-643. 

Concentrations of PCBs in fish from each of the Great Lakes currently exceed the GLWQA objectives for the protection of aquatic life. Similarly, concentrations of some substances (e.g., PCBs, Hg, mirex, toxaphene) in Great Lakes fish continue to exceed acceptable guidelines for human consumption. Documented effects in the Great Lakes include reproductive failure, congenital abnormalities and induction of tumours in various aquatic, terrestrial and avian species (23). 

Compounds that affect activities of hepatic microsomal enzymes can antagonize the effects of methyl parathion, presumably by decreasing metabolism of methyl parathion to methyl paraoxon or enhancing degradation to relatively nontoxic metabolites. For example, pretreatment with phenobarbital protected rats from methyl parathion s cholinergic effects (Murphy 1980) and reduced inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity in the rat brain (Tvede et al. 1989). Phenobarbital pretreatment prevented lethality from methyl parathion in mice compared to saline-pretreated controls (Sultatos 1987). Pretreatment of rats with two other pesticides, chlordecone or mirex, also reduced inhibition of brain acetylcholinesterase activity in rats dosed with methyl parathion (2.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally), while pretreatment with the herbicide linuron decreased acetylcholine brain levels below those found with methyl parathion treatment alone (Tvede et al. 1989). 

Burns SE, JP Hassett, MV Rossi (1996) Binding effects on humic-mediated photoreaction intrahumic dechlorination of mirex in water. Environ Sci Technol 30 2934-2941. 

Eversole 1980). It is probable that bioavailable concentrations from the water in each test did not exceed 1.0 pg/L. However, delayed mortality frequently occurs for extended periods after exposure, and the potential for adverse effects at the population level remains high (NAS 1978). Latent biocidal properties of mirex were documented for hsh (Van Valin et al. 1968 Koenig 1977) and crustaceans (Ludke et al. 1971 Hyde 1972 Cripe and Livingston 1977). Crustaceans were the most sensitive group examined. For example, the crayfish (Procambarus blandingi) immersed in nominal concentrations of 0.1 to 5.0 pg mirex/L for periods of 6 to 144 h died 5 to 10 days after initial exposure (Ludke et al. 1971). Immature crayfish were more sensitive than adults, and mortality patterns were similar when mirex was administered in the water or in baits (Ludke et al. 1971). 

Mirex has considerable potential for chronic toxicity because it is only partly metabolized, is eliminated very slowly, and is accumulated in the fat, liver, and brain. The most common effects observed in small laboratory mammals fed mirex included weight loss, enlarged livers, altered liver enzyme metabolism, and reproductive failure. Mirex reportedly crossed placental membranes and accumulated in fetal tissues. Among the progeny of mirex-treated mammals, developmental abnormalities included cataracts, heart defects, scoliosis, and cleft palates (NAS 1978 Blus 1995). 

Adults of selected mammalian species showed a variety of damage effects of mirex ... 

No mirex degradation products were detected in whole fathead minnow or in hydrosoils under aerobic or anaerobic conditions (Huckins et al. 1982). In contrast, three metabolites were detected in coastal marshes after mirex bait application, one of which, photomirex, was accumulated by fish and oysters (Cripe and Livingston 1977). The fate and effects of mirex photoproducts in the environment are unclear and merit additional research. 

The significance of mirex residues in various tissues is unresolved, as is the exact mode of action of mirex and its metabolites. Minchew et al. (1980) and others indicated that mirex is a neurotoxic agent, with a mode of action similar to that of other chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides, such as DDT. In studies with crayfish and radiolabeled mirex, mirex toxicosis was associated with neurotoxic effects that included hyperactivity, uncoordinated movements, loss of equilibrium, and... 

Baker, M.F. 1964. Studies on possible effects of mirex bait on the bobwhite quail and birds. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast. Assoc. Fish Game Comm. 18 153-159. 

Bird, D.M., P.H. Tucker, G.A. Fox, and PC. Lague. 1983. Synergistic effects of Aroclor 1254 and mirex on the semen characteristics of American kestrels. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 12 633-640. 

Eversole, A.G. 1980. Effects of Water-Borne Mirex on the Survival and Production of Macrobrachium rosen-bergii (de Man). Water Resour. Res. Inst., Clemson Univ., Clemson SC, OWRT Proj. B-115-SC. 44 pp. 

Jones, A.S. and C.S. Hodges. 1974. Persistence of mirex and its effects on soil microorganisms. Jour. Agric. Food Chem. 22 435-439. 

Koenig, C.C. 1977. The effects of DDT and mirex alone and in combination on the reproduction of a salt marsh cyprinodont fish, Adinia xenica. Pages 357-376 in FJ. Vemberg, A. Calabrese, F.P. Thurberg, and W.B. Vemberg (eds.). Physiological Responses of Marine Biota to Pollutants. Academic Press, New York. 

Leatherland, J.F. and R.A. Sonstegard. 1981. Effect of dietary mirex and PCB s on calcium and magnesium metabolism in rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri and coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch a comparison with Great Lakes coho salmon. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 69C 345-351. 

Rogers, J.M. 1982. The Perinatal Cataractogenicity of the Pesticide Mirex Lens Changes and Related Systemic Effects. Ph.D. thesis, Univ. Miami, Coral Gables. 100 pp. 

Sanders, H.O., J. Huckins, B.T. Johnson, and D. Skaar. 1981. Biological effects of kepone and mirex in freshwater invertebrates. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 10 531-539. 

Schoor, W.P. and S.M. Newman. 1976. The effect of mirex on the burrowing activity of the lugworm (Arenicola cristata). Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 105 700-703. 

Shannon, V.C. 1976. The Effects of Mirex on the Reproductive Performance and Behavioral Development of the Prairie vole Micropterus ochrogaster. Ph.D. thesis, Iowa State Univ., Ames. 318 pp. 

Van Valin, C.E., A.K. Andrews, and L.L. Eller. 1968. Some effects of mirex on two warm-water fishes. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 97 185-196. 

Voiland, M.P. Jr., K.L. Gall, DJ. Lisk, and D.B. MacNeill. 1991. Effectiveness of recommended fat-trimming procedures on the reduction of PCB and mirex levels in brown trout (Salmo trutta) from Lake Ontario. Jour. Great Lakes Res. 17 454 160. 

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